Baby Makes Four
by diamondwine
Summary: (AU Loki) Their hands already full with a 5-year-old, Loki and his wife are surprised when they learn they are expecting a new child.
1. Chapter 1

"Daddy, make it snow!" Logan says, rushing over to the kitchen table as I try to finish drying his hands for dinner. Logan laughs and rushes right up to Loki, tapping his knees impatiently. Loki opens his mouth, fashioning it into an O, before blowing out a Jötunn-cold gust, spreading a miniature blizzard about the kitchen. Logan laughs and screeches, jumping up and down in Loki's snow, attempting to catch flakes in his little hands. I stand there with my arms crossed and marvel at the boy, his beautiful curls bouncing loosely like springs off his head. After a good ten seconds or so, Loki stops blowing snow, as not to make the kitchen floor too wet. Logan stops bouncing and stomps his foot.

"Why you stop?!" he asks. Loki laughs and beckons the boy, who steps slowly towards him.

"'Cause your mother will have a fit if I soak up the floor," he says, pulling Logan up into his lap and hugging him, kissing his forehead lingeringly. Logan laughs and pulls a small hand through Loki's hair before sighing and resting his head against Loki's chest tiredly. The oven beeps and I walk over to it to take out the potatoes I was baking.

"Da da," I listen to my son speak as I put on oven mitts to get into the oven, "Will _I _ever be able to make it snow?" Logan asks hopefully. Loki laughs.

"I don't know, son. Maybe someday," Loki says honestly, and I start feeling curious myself, wondering whether Loki's Jötunn blood will ever override my human genes and give Logan the same special abilities. I glance at the two of them to find Loki brushing Logan's hair back out of his eyes, Logan's hand playfully covering Loki's mouth, hoping he'll blow another miniature blizzard. Logan whines and Loki laughs again before kissing his forehead.

"Wait and see, Lo. You haven't finished growing up yet," Loki adds, "Who's daddy's boy?"

"_I am_!" Logan shouts, "You always ask me that—you ask me yesterday and I give you the same answer, da da. Why don't you remember I'm your boy?" Logan asks seriously. Loki laughs.

"It's just something fathers say sometimes, kid," Loki says, gently pulling one of Logan's curls so that it straightens out to a long lock of hair. Logan nuzzles his face into Loki's chest and yawns.

"Yeah, he's had a very long day," I add, placing the lid back on the rice, which is nearly finished. Loki smiles over at me, rubbing our son's back. The bell rings right when I'm about to put the potatoes in the oven for another five minutes.

"Let me get it," Loki says, picking Logan up as he stands.

"Ready to see uncle Thor and auntie Jane?" Loki asks him.

"Mhmm," Logan mumbles. As Loki passes me, the boy squirms to get down. Loki pauses and puts Logan down in front of the refrigerator, passing his hand along my lower back as he exits the kitchen to get to the front door. I feel a tug on the skirt of my dress as I reach into the cupboard for some plates.

"Mommy, can I have some apple juice?" Logan asks. As the child smiles, all I can see is Loki's mischievous set of lips.

"Of course, baby. Just let me get out some plates," I say before sighing. Logan watches me, waving his hands like a bird attempting to fly its way out of the nest. Every time I turn around, he's asking for juice, but I figured he could have some, seeing as he was ready to fall asleep on Loki's lap a moment earlier. I put the plates down and go into the refrigerator. I can hear Thor's laughter in the hallway, and Logan turns his attention to the doorway, where he slowly creeps and pokes his head out to the other side. He then runs back into the kitchen and hides behind my legs, burying his face into my dress. And then Thor's blonde head pokes into the kitchen. He looks around, eyebrows arched.

"Hello, Misty," he says jovially, "You haven't seen little Logan around, have you?" he asks sarcastically. I laugh and shake my head.

"You know, I'm not sure if he's even home right now," I add, shaking the bottle of apple juice, which is already a little less than half empty since I bought it at the store two days prior. I make a mental note to keep track of how many times Logan asks Loki for juice after I've already given it to him.

"Boo!" Logan shouts, stepping from behind my legs. Thor steps fully into the kitchen, feigning fear as the boy runs up to his uncle to be swooped in the air, dangled over Thor's head like a plane. He laughs and Thor takes him for a little ride about the kitchen. When Jane walks in, her stomach is the first thing I notice. She sets a white box on the counter. We exchange hugs with some difficulty and she smiles at me when I ask what the due date is.

"I know I asked last week on the phone, but I must have forgotten. Things have been so busy around here with the new year, my promotion, switching Logan to a new school," I add. Thor and Jane are in town for the week, while she will attend some science convention or other, and this dinner is the first time in 2014 we're seeing each other for a while, as Thor and Jane would be off to Asgard for the birth of their child in the next two months. Loki walks back into the kitchen, rolling up his white shirt sleeves.

"March tenth, but we'll see," Jane informs me, rubbing her belly a moment, before telling me that it feels like negative seven degrees outside.

"I _scared_ you," Logan says, pointing into Thor's sturdy chest. Thor laughs.

"Yes, you did, sport," Thor responds, entertaining him and holding him at arm's length.

"Look at you! You were barely able to speak the last time I saw you, now you're all big and strong."

Logan scrunches up his nose, flexing his small arms and Thor laughs harder before hugging him and putting him down. Loki is leaning against the counter, admiring his brother and son. Thor stoops to Logan's height and Logan puts his hands on Thor's shoulders.

"Logan, you're going to have a little baby cousin soon, because auntie Jane is pregnant," he says, nodding in Jane's direction; she waves at Logan and says hello. Logan stares over at Jane's round stomach. He gasps and his green eyes widen.

"My cousin's in there?!" Logan asks, pointing at Jane, who laughs before nodding. She leans in towards me, "How much does he know about the birds and the bees?" she asks me quietly.

"Enough to know that _the stork_ brings babies to mom and dad," I respond just as quietly, "Not the graphic details," I add.

"…But how did the stork put him in there? Can't he breathe?!" Logan asks, horrified suddenly. Thor turns and cocks his head sideways, gazing over at Jane, who looks like she's holding in a laugh.

"Actually, _she_ can breathe just fine, Logan. She's got her own special way," Jane grins.

"Uhm," Loki says, stepping in, "It's a long story, champ. All you need to know is that you're going to be a big cousin soon. Isn't that exciting?" Loki finishes, stepping between Logan and his stare which is fixed on Jane's stomach. Thor stands and clears his throat.

"I brought wine," he informs, and I look over on the counter to find the bottle he must have put there before, and I managed not to notice.

"Shall we start dinner?" Loki asks, guiding a still confused-looking Logan to the table.

"Everything's just about ready," I say, pouring Logan's juice finally.

"Let me help," Jane says as I bring the cup to Logan.

"Oh, no, no, no—I've got it, Jane. You just sit down and—"

"Misty, I'm pregnant, not handicapped," Jane grins, "Let me help," she says, and I point to the dishes on the counter, letting her know I'd meant to have everything set by the time she and Thor arrived. She keeps telling me not to worry about it as I let her know where the silverware is. I glance over at the table as I stir the stir fry to find Loki and Thor engaged in a conversation with Logan, who I can hear asking about Asgard and whether or not uncle Thor can blow snowflakes. When Logan asks Thor how come he can't blow snowflakes like daddy, Loki and Thor exchange glances.

"Well, son, your dad is talented. Talented in ways that I am not," Thor responds simply, leaning in towards Logan and speaking gently with a smile. Logan reaches out and puts his hand over Thor's mouth. Loki laughs.

"He's trying to see whether your mouth is cold. Does it to me all the time," Loki adds. He stands up and grabs three glasses, one for me, one for Thor, and one for himself. Loki helps me serve, and soon we're all eating and talking. Thor is kept busy by Logan's questions about his and Loki's upbringing. I keep half listening to the conversation, which Thor is careful to omit particular details from. I know that Loki's listening, too, answering where he can with white lies to which Logan is none the wiser. Jane is still talking to me about something physics related in terms of the convention she's in town for, inviting me to the guest lecture she'll be giving on her own research. I tell her I'll be checking my schedule ASAP, because working for a fashion magazine has had my hands tied more tightly than usual, what with my promotion to photo editor and interviewer. I jokingly suggest that she bring back Asgardian gowns for me to photograph for the spring fashion edition of the magazine, but Jane takes my words seriously and promises she'll bring me back something nice.

"Daddy, when do _I _get to go to Asgard?" Logan asks for the umpteenth time since he's been able to talk.

"I don't know, Lo," Loki answers, "In the near future. Now eat that broccoli. You've been pushing it round your plate since you started eating," Loki says in a stricter tone than he usually uses with Logan. Logan scrunches up his nose in disgust.

"You want to grow up big and strong, like uncle Thor?"

Logan takes a glance at Thor before stuffing the broccoli into his mouth and chewing it hastily. Loki laughs and tells him to slow down so he doesn't choke. Thor seems entirely amused by Logan's performance, and I reach across the table to wipe the teriyaki sauce off of Logan's chin.

"I brought you something special for dessert, Logan," Jane grins. Logan claps his hands in anticipation, licking his lips. Jane stands and walks over to the white box she had placed on the counter earlier.

"You like cupcakes I hope," she says in a friendly tone, bringing the box over and leaning slightly in front of Logan so he can take his pick. He goes immediately for a rich looking chocolate cupcake with what looks like mint green frosting.

"Whoa, that's pretty big. What do you say we cut it in half?" I suggest, but Logan starts licking the frosting off before Loki can take it from him. I sigh, knowing Logan will be bouncing off the walls until bed time.

"Oooo, that's nice, Lo. What do you say to auntie Jane?" Loki says. Logan puts the cupcake on the table and wipes his mouth on his sleeve. He stares up at Jane before hugging her, barely able to fit his arms around her waist for her pregnant stomach.

"Thank you, auntie Jane," Logan says. He then stares at Jane's stomach.

"And thank you little cousin," he whispers, sure the baby can hear him.

"You're welcome, Logan." Jane smiles genuinely, running her hand through Logan's hair before glancing sweetly between Loki and I. Loki's hand is uncharacteristically warm atop mine where it's resting on the kitchen table. I turn towards him to find him smiling. He kisses my forehead a moment before reaching for his glass of wine.

"Slow down with that, Logan," I say; the boy is stuffing his face with the gourmet cupcake.

"You guys can have the last three. I had one on the way here," Jane explains, sitting back in her chair with what seems like slight difficulty.

"Yay!" Logan shouts, smiling at the thought of having another one.

"I think that's enough sugar for one night, bear, don't you think?" Loki asks. Logan shakes his head in the negative vehemently.

"We'll save them for the weekend," Loki adds, picking up the box.

"Honey, do you want one?" Loki asks, pausing in walking away from the table. I shake my head.

"Brother?" Loki grins.

"Are you kidding me? Bring them here," Thor says and I laugh, "She wouldn't let me have one in the car because I was driving," Thor admits. Loki opens the box for Thor and laughs before bringing it to the refrigerator. Once he finishes the cupcake, Logan runs to the refrigerator to bring Thor and Jane a drawing of them he said he did at school that day. Thor is noticeably larger than Jane, which makes them both laugh.

"And we're all in Asgard," Logan adds enthusiastically. The background is full of clouds and trees, Logan's own imaginary depiction of Asgard.

"That is _very good_, Logan," Thor says encouragingly, "Looks just like the real thing."

Logan smiles.

"So can I go for vacation?"

"You'll go someday soon. Don't worry. But if you promise to be good for your mom and dad, I might be able to bring you back a souvenir," Thor explains. Logan nods. We migrate to the den to watch Family Feud, Jane talking about her plans to deliver in Asgard and maybe spend some time starting new research there using Asgardian technology. Logan sits in Loki's lap, fidgeting in a hyper manner and calling out random answers to the questions for the game on TV, some of which he gets right. I excuse myself to go and put the leftovers away in the kitchen. I spoon what's left of the stir fry into a Rubbermaid container and stow it in the fridge. The last thing I remember is opening the dishwasher, before I hear Logan scream-crying in a way that jolts me awake. I feel small hands on my cheeks, hear him crying, "Mommy?!" The ground trembles slightly and from my blurred peripheral vision, I can see Loki's legs quickly approaching. Logan's face is out of view then as Jane picks him up and Loki kneels at my side, scooping my head and shoulders up into his arms, a worried look all over his face. He says my name, tells me to look at him. I can hardly keep my eyes open, and it hasn't registered to me what has happened because I'm still so distracted by Logan's cries, despite Jane's attempts to comfort him. I can hear Thor calling for an ambulance, impatiently giving them our address and begging them to hurry. I'm finally able to sit up unassisted, but Loki stops me when I try to stand up, keeping me in his arms.

"Did I just faint?" I ask slightly above a whisper.

"Looks like it." Loki glances over at Thor, Jane, and our son, who has stopped crying audibly and is staring over at me.

"Mommy's fine. It's alright," Loki says to him comfortingly. I brush Loki's arms away and start standing up.

"You shouldn't—"

"No, no, I can…I'm fine," I say, steadying myself on the counter. Loki's hands don't leave my sides as he steadies me protectively.

"I think you should sit down, Misty. Please," Loki pleads. And I walk unsteadily towards the table, where Thor pulls out a chair and turns it to face me so I don't have to walk far.

"What exactly happened?" I ask.

"I heard Logan screaming after he got up to go to the bathroom. He came in here and saw you lying on the floor unconscious," Loki explains quietly to me, not wanting to alarm our son any further than he already is. I shake my head unsurely, feeling a bit dazed. Loki's concerned stare doesn't make me feel any more relaxed. I hear the sirens outside, and Logan starts to cry again. I try to assure the paramedic that I'm fine and that I must have just fainted because of stress, but Loki insists that I go to the hospital just to be sure nothing else is wrong. I can't argue with him when I feel woozy as I try to get up from the table. Logan continues to cry and call for me. Loki tries to comfort him and tells him he's going to go to the doctor with me for a moment. Thor and Jane stay to watch Logan as we ride in the ambulance. Soon after we arrive, they put me on an I.V. of electrolytes. I keep trying to tell Loki that I'm probably just tired and stressed out, but he doesn't allow me to get up and walk around to prove this, because I keep getting lightheaded when I try to stand. I fall asleep with him lying beside me in the bed, waiting for the doctor to come. I wake up to find her taking blood, and Loki is still wide awake. He hasn't stopped watching me since the moment I passed out at our house. I feel him kiss my forehead.

"Logan," I grumble. Loki sits up and fishes his phone out of his pocket.

"I'll check on them."

I can hear Thor's voice on the other line as I press my face into Loki's warm chest.

"Oh," Loki sighs, "That's a relief. I'm surprised he went down at all after that massive cupcake. Sugar gets him really hyper," Loki informs, and I know our son is sound asleep. Thor lets Loki know that he and Jane will be at our place for as long as we need and Loki asks them to make use of the guest room, seeing as it's getting too late for them to make it back to their hotel. The doctor comes back to the room and Loki wakes me up, as I was dozing off again. When I look, I find that the doctor has a smile on her face.

"Alright, Misty. It looks like your hormone levels indicate that you're pregnant," she announces, and Loki sits up straight, his eyes widening a little bit. At that moment, I hope that I'm dreaming, because Logan is a handful enough.

"I'd say almost two months in, considering that that's around the time you said you had your last menstrual cycle. We can do an ultrasound now to make sure everything is alright. You should be good to go home after that, because it looks like you were merely dehydrated," the doctor goes on to explain, before telling us she'll be right back to do the ultrasound, and leaves the room again. Loki turns to look at me. His eyes are a bit watery and a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. I had sat up straight at the news, too. It came as a surprise to us both, considering the fact that Logan was a complete surprise, as I'd been told not long ago that I couldn't conceive. After I had Logan, my doctor thought there was _no way_ I'd have another baby. Loki and I stare at each other in disbelief. It startles me when he holds both my hands. He plants a loving kiss on my lips.

"What do you want to do?" Loki asks. I shake my head and stare into space unsurely. Loki pulls his arms around me and kisses my forehead. And then I start crying. I have no idea how to handle the news; I'm not sure whether I'm happy, sad, shocked. I had _just _gotten this promotion at work, which meant a tighter schedule, more stress, but also a raise. I couldn't imagine trying to deal with being pregnant while trying to find some stable ground in terms of my life; my pregnancy with Logan was difficult, and had kept me on bed rest for the last five months of it. I felt that I barely had enough time for myself as it was. Loki was busy being the CEO of a realtor company, and if it weren't for me having friends as close to me as family, I'd have had to quit working just to take care of Logan. Most days, I wasn't the one picking him up from school. I couldn't imagine how much harder it would be having another baby in the mix. Loki holds me tighter and I just find myself heaving into his chest.

"It's going to be okay, honey," he says reassuringly, "We're going to figure this out…We don't have to right away. You're only two months pregnant."

I shake my head. It's no surprise to me that I was dehydrated; I had been running all over the place after work getting ready to prepare dinner for Thor and Jane. I _was_ surprised I didn't realize I was pregnant; with Logan, I'd gotten severe nausea so it was pretty obvious when I finally heard the news from my doctor. But this time, I'd had no symptoms. I had just assumed that my period was late, because they'd always been irregular and all over the place, particularly during times of stress. Loki is still rubbing my back, shushing me soothingly.

"Oh god…I was _drinking_," I say fearfully, wiping my eyes and looking up at Loki.

"I'm sure you haven't done much damage. You rarely drink. Tonight was your first glass of wine since the New Year," Loki says comfortingly. And I know he's right.

"Do you want to have this baby, Misty? …You don't have to answer right away." Loki smiles.

I sigh and he smooths some hair out of my face.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he says with relief, pulling me into his arms again, this time much tighter.

"It scared me when I heard Logan screaming, even more when I saw you lying on the floor like that," Loki admits honestly.

"I'm just…this is a _huge_—"

"Surprise," Loki says, finishing my sentence, "Well, honey, it could've been much worse. I've seen you stressed out, and it doesn't result in you passing out. We need to make sure that our baby is okay." He reaches for my hand and squeezes it, gazing down at my stomach, which really hasn't gotten any bigger in the past two months. My cheeks flush at Loki's words and when I look up at him, there's this faraway longing look on his face as he keeps his eyes fixed down on my stomach.

"We can't keep lying to Logan. He's going to have to learn about his roots sooner or later. And he's getting too smart to keep things like my frost giant lineage a secret," Loki says quietly.

"I know," I whisper.

"He may develop some of my characteristics, he may not. I think we've both been wondering the same thing since he was born," Loki adds, finally looking in my eyes. I caress his beautiful cheek and he holds my palm against it, kissing my wrist and closing his eyes.

"I love you so much, Misty. I just want Logan to grow up knowing that what he is…it's not something to be feared—not with me as a father. I don't want him to feel…different, you know? In bad ways, like I did. He's a good boy. I think we should tell him the truth, about me, about his frost giant blood. If he's got my magic, he'll find it sooner or later."

"I know," I say. "I totally agree. I'm just scared. He's still young, Loki, and he was born here, on earth. As far as we know, he's a human being. I'm not disagreeing with you, I just think we should wait a bit longer, till he's old enough to understand better. To understand that there are some things he can't share with just anyone. I don't want to risk exposing him—or you. It's a cruel world, and people are often treated horribly for being different. I know you know that."

"Of course I know it, sweetheart. But I promise, you don't have to worry about me. I can protect myself, and there's no _way _I would ever let anything happen to our son. You know that…I've been telling him bedtime stories about Asgard ever since he was born. Besides, Logan knows I have ice breath. I'm sure he understands that _that's_ not a humantrait. He knows not to tell anyone outside of our immediate family about that."

"He told Thor."

"Yes, because he's my brother."

"Yeah, but it could have been someone else, like my mother. You know my family doesn't know everything about you to that extent, Loki." He sighs.

"I don't like lying to our son, Misty, and you know that I'm one to lie for trickery."

I don't say another word, stopping before our conversation becomes a fight.

"I'm sorry," Loki whispers, kissing my forehead again, "I don't want to upset you. Let's talk about this later."

I watch Loki stand there with crossed arms, staring at the monitor as the doctor looks at the fetus.

"Well, everything looks okay. And if you're feeling any better, I'd say you're free to go home, so long as you keep your fluids up. You can schedule a follow up with your OB GYN ASAP, just to have another check up, and I'm sure you know how it all goes from there," the doctor informs. Loki smiles and clasps my hand, not removing his eyes from the screen. I stare at him a moment as the doctor finishes up, and I immediately wonder whether the pregnancy is worth going through. I remember how tough it was the first time, and the threat of complications frightens me. Logan had to be delivered via caesarian section because of some previous complications, and I didn't want to go through the stress of worrying about problems like that again. But the way that Loki smiles causes me to want to go through with it for him. He doesn't have to tell me as we sit in silence holding hands on the cab ride home that he wants this baby; I can see it all over his face and in the way he looks me over every other minute. The drowsiness I feel overcomes me and I fall asleep against Loki's shoulder. I wake up to his beautiful face peering down at me from just outside the cab, a tuft of onyx hair falling into his eye. He starts to lift me up under my arms and I stand to meet him. When we make it into the house, Thor and Jane have fallen asleep on the pull out couch in front of the TV, and it is a little past midnight. I start upstairs immediately to check on Logan. Loki follows right after me, tucking his head in over mine as I peer in through the door of Logan's room. I can see his face sleeping serenely in the light of his night light.

"Poor little guy. He's had such a long week at his new school, then he had to have a traumatizing evening," I say once I've closed his door, "I wish he didn't have to find me like that," I say, starting for our bedroom. Loki follows me closely and when I stand in front of the bureau to start undressing, he wraps his arms around me passionately.

"He's a resilient child. He's stronger than you think. All that matters is that you're okay, and he'll be happy to see you when he wakes up, Misty," Loki says as I grab the scissors and cut the plastic hospital bracelet off my wrist. I lean back against Loki's chest as he holds me, wrapping my hands around his arms.

"I love you. I don't know what I'd do without you," I say before sighing. Loki looks at me in the mirror for a moment before turning me around.

"I know it's late, and we both need to get some sleep, but I just wanted to apologize. I know it was hard enough when you were pregnant with Logan, and I know you don't want to go through that again. This is all my fault, Mis. We should've been better at using protection."

"No, no," I sigh, running my hand down Loki's chest.

"We _both_ thought I couldn't conceive, and bam—Logan happened. But I love him, and I wouldn't change things if I could go back in time. You're both my whole world, Loki…I mean that. I just don't know…" Loki pushes his hands through my hair repetitively.

"I don't feel like this is the right timing," I say, glancing down at my stomach.

"I mean, because we weren't even _trying_, and I'm scared of the possible complications, like I had before. Sometimes I'd love it if we could have a little girl, but…I don't know," I sigh. Loki massages my hair.

"I'm sorry," he says.

"Stop saying that," I laugh weakly, "It's not like I didn't play a part in this, too."

Loki grins, "Well, we both know that this happened because I can't keep my hands off you," he says, cocking a brow. I laugh and rest my head against his chest. He kisses the top of it. I go to get into the shower and brush my teeth while Loki takes his hamper down to the basement. As I shower, I try to think about what it might be like to go through with this pregnancy. The scar from Logan is still as noticeable as ever, despite my stomach being relatively the same as it was before I got pregnant. Part of me wants to have the baby, for Loki, and the rest of me is terrified at the thought. But Loki has been the perfect husband for the past two years since we got married; we didn't until Logan was three. Things just sort of slowed down once he was born and I wanted to get into the best shape I could before trying on wedding dresses, despite the fact that Loki had kept telling me I looked perfectly fine after I had Logan. I try to clear my head, and when I step out of the shower, Loki is gargling Listerine at the sink. He spits it out as I dry off somewhat slowly, lost in thought. He turns around fully to look at me, already naked for his shower. His body is a work of art, and I just stare for a few seconds while dabbing myself dry.

"You okay, baby?" he asks concernedly.

"Huh? Oh—yeah, I'm just thinking," I sigh. Before I can wrap the towel around myself, Loki grabs onto my hips, his eyes plastered on my caesarian scar. What he does next surprises me. He slowly descends to both knees and kisses my scar, wrapping his arms around me and closing his eyes. All the blood rushes to my face. I reach down and push my hands through Loki's beautiful hair. When his eyes flicker open and look up at me like two green gems, I can't help but melt. His exhale against my abdomen is chilly. He's kissed my scar before, and every time he does it, it feels like some sort of apology for ever getting me pregnant.

"I love you, Misty," he says, gazing up at me once he has detached his mouth from the scar. I push my hands through his hair again, trace down the sides of his face, brush my thumb over his Adam's apple.

"I love you," he says again, brushing his thumbs over my scar and gazing at it with a sort of saudade that makes my heart flutter.

"I know," I whisper. I lean down and kiss Loki's forehead.

"I'm exhausted," I breathe. Loki stands up, taller than me once more, so that he has to look down to meet my eyes.

"Get some sleep," he says before embracing me a moment. I start finding myself not wanting to let go, but I do and leave Loki to his shower. I put lotion on and slip into my pajamas. I fall asleep before Loki makes it back into the room. When I wake up in the morning, Loki is holding me, but someone else is playing with my hair. When a small, cool hand rests upon my forehead, I know that it's Logan. I turn up my gaze to find his eyes—Loki's iridescent emeralds—looking down at me.

"Mommy," he whispers, "Auntie Jane is making breakfast." I realize Logan is whispering because Loki is still asleep. I start to sit up, and subsequently, Loki awakens to find our son sitting beside me on the edge of the bed. I pull him into my arms, guiding him beneath the warmth of the covers. Loki yawns and wraps both long arms around the two of us, and we just sit there a moment, embracing one another. I can smell pancakes being made down in the kitchen. I savor this moment, tucking it deep within my memories for the future.

"My baby."

"I'm not a baby—I'm a five year old boy," Logan contests, laughing beneath my grip. Loki giggles.

"Mommy's just fine now," he says, pulling Logan into his lap to hold him.

"What did the doctor do?" Logan asks curiously.

"They gave her fluids. Mommy was a little dehydrated, which just means she wasn't drinking enough water, so she fainted. But she's alright now, see?" Loki says reassuringly. He doesn't tell Logan that he might have a little brother or sister soon, and it is tacitly understood that this information will remain between the two of us until further notice. Loki cuddles Logan and kisses his cheeks. The boy starts to laugh and play fight with his dad. I smile as I rush into the bathroom to pee. I can still hear them on the outside and I feel a sense of happiness that I haven't felt in a long time.

"Someone's getting _really _strong, Logan!" Loki says, allowing our son to win, and Logan counts to three before announcing that he's the champion. Loki laughs uncontrollably. As I wash my hands at the sink, I hear Logan's footsteps on the floor before he shouts, laughing some more. When I come out of the bathroom, I find Loki in his PJ pants, throwing our son into the air and catching him repeatedly. Logan is thoroughly enjoying this, but it begins to frighten me, though I know Loki could never drop him, not with his warrior-like reflexes.

"Alright, that's enough. We don't want to break anything," I say, stopping Logan who is about to jump clear off our king size bed into Loki's arms. Logan collapses on the bed, out of breath, smiling. Loki attacks his feet and tickles them.

"Daddy!" Logan screeches, laughing his head off.

"Alright, little bear, let's get changed for breakfast," Loki says, grabbing Logan's hand and leading him toward the door. Loki pauses to give me a thorough kiss on the cheek and I start to get ready myself.

When we are all comfortably around the dining room table, Jane starts talking about a science museum, and Logan asks if he can go. Jane looks to me.

"Well, it is the weekend, and he hasn't got much to do today. So, why not?"

"Ooo, I've got an errand to run," Loki says, taking a glance at his watch, "I completely forgot."

"But I want you to come, too, daddy," Logan whines.

"We can do whatever you want later on, buddy," Loki says, brushing his hand through Logan's hair.

"We were thinking of going ice skating, too," Jane adds, "Maybe you'd like to learn how, Logan?" she asks.

"Ooooo!" Logan shouts, nodding.

"Sounds like a plan. But I do have something that needs to be taken care of at the office, so I don't know if—what time are you guys going to go?" I ask as Loki stands, taking my finished plate to the sink along with his.

"Well, the museum is open now, and I was thinking we'd head out earlier rather than later, so we can make it to the skating rink before they close," Jane explains.

"How about you guys take Logan, and we'll just go get our stuff done and try to meet up with you guys to skate?" I ask. I look at Loki, unsure of what his plans are. He nods, thinking it through.

"I just have to drop off a key with one of my employees. I shouldn't be long," he says.

Logan claps as we draw the plans together.

"Okay, so we'll meet you guys after the museum," I finish. Loki stoops to Logan's height at his chair and Logan gives him a tight hug. I kiss the boy on the cheek and Loki and I start for the door.

"Do you want me to drive you?" Loki asks, wrapping an arm around my waist as we step out the front door.

"How are you feeling this morning? I wouldn't want to be worried about you fainting at the wheel."

"I'm fine. I'm sure. But you might as well, that way _I _can save gas," I say, grinning. Loki laughs and kisses my temple. I step into Loki's Toyota Highlander and buckle my seatbelt. He turns on the music player and I shiver, buttoning my coat and wrapping my scarf twice around my neck. Loki's coat isn't even zipped. He glances at me apologetically.

"If I'd have known you were coming with me, I would've started the car and turned the heat on," he says, placing his hand on my knee as he backs deftly out of the driveway, staring out the rearview mirror.

"It's okay," I breathe, slipping on my gloves. Debussy meets my ears and I rest my head back and relax as Loki whistles along for a minute to Valse Romantique.

"I've been wanting to show you this _really_ nice house. I was even thinking maybe we could…move. I mean, the market's getting better still and I really like this house—not that there's anything wrong with ours right now," Loki says. I sit up.

"I shouldn't have said that. I don't want to stress you out—don't think about it," he adds, squeezing my knee cap. I smile.

"Now I want to see it," I say somewhat excitedly. Loki stops at a red light and turns to face me.

"It's _gorgeous_, honey. It's got one of those koi fish ponds. I know how you like natural scenery. The property is pretty sylvan, so it's quiet, the backyard is bigger than ours, there's a ten-foot pool, and I know Logan would love that…"

I get lost in Loki's voice as he talks.

"It's a quaint, Victorian era style house—like some of the ones we saw on vacation in Martha's Vineyard last summer. I know how you liked those."

"Well, now you _have _to show me this house," I say.

Loki smiles.

"So, let me quickly drop this key with Keith, and then I'll stop by your office."

"Okay. I just need to pick up my camera to develop the film from my photo shoot yesterday. I was in a hurry to leave work, so I completely forgot it," I explain, pushing my fingers through Loki's so that our hands are tightly woven. Loki's free hand remains on the wheel and he pulls mine towards his lips to kiss the back of it, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Have you thought about talking to Logan? While I was helping him get ready today, he kept asking me about Asgard. He _really _wants to know more, Misty."

"I know. And he has a right to know. But I'm not sure just yet is the time to take him. He's trying to adjust to his new school right now. Loki, I swear, I felt like the worst mother in the world dropping him off Monday morning. We both agreed that this new school has a better reputation, it's closer to home…he wouldn't stop crying about his friends from his old school, asking me why he couldn't stay there. I didn't want to leave him there—it was so hard to leave. I just…felt bad."

When I steal a glance at Loki, he's looking at me sadly.

"You know he's never been used to change. Remember how much he _hated _sippy cups?" I laugh a moment and Loki smiles, "He'll get used to it. He'll make new friends. Hey, you have _nothing_ to feel badly about," Loki says soothingly, gripping my hand tighter and kissing my cheek at a red light.

"I _want_ him to know more about himself. I want him to understand that he might develop some unique traits, like you, but I just think that right now, whisking him away to Asgard—it would be too much for him to take in. Too many new things all at once. And he's a single child…well, for now. He wouldn't have anyone to talk to about all of it, aside from us, and that worries me with his friends at school."

When I look at Loki again, he's smiling from ear to ear.

"For now?" he asks hopefully, gently. The blood rushes to my face, like it did last night. I sigh and rest my head back against my seat.

"Lo…" I reach out and caress Loki's hair as he turns the corner, at a loss for words.

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm going to be a father all over again, Misty?"

I laugh awkwardly. We finally arrive at the house where Loki's associate is standing on the front porch, talking on the phone. When I get out of the car, Loki is quick to rush around the boot to come and swoop me up into his arms. I feel my feet leave the ground and Loki plants kisses all over my face before letting me stand on my own. His eyes are watery, but the smile plastered on his face reads only joy.

"Misty, are you _sure_ this is what you want? I don't want either of us to feel like you're just making this decision for me."

I nod, wiping a tear from my eye, "I just…sometimes I dream about a little girl, and I thought, maybe that's what this is," I whisper, resting my hands over my abdomen. Loki kisses me and we stand there oblivious to the world until Keith calls Loki's name. He turns around, a bit disheveled, fishing a key out of his pocket and meeting his employee halfway up the steps of a Georgian colonial type of house. I sigh and rest back against the car as Loki exchanges a few words with Keith, who waves over at me. I wave back. Loki starts back to the car and pulls the door open for me, his pleasant smile returning. We drive to my office and I grab my camera.

"Logan's going to be so excited," Loki says into my ear, cornering me at my desk, and I shiver as I feel his lips on the side of my neck.

"When do you think we should tell him about the baby, or anyone, for that matter?" Loki whispers. There are a few people in the office today, and I can't help but notice some of the stares I get as people pass my office window. I know they're looking at Loki. I shove some papers into a file, organizing my desk and shrugging. Loki kisses my neck again.

"If you don't stop that…" I say, grinning.

"Hmmm, I've never taken you in here before," Loki says mischievously, lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"_No_," I say, leaning my head forward and away from Loki's kisses, "Down, boy."

Loki laughs. He plants savoringly sweet kisses down the back of my neck and I literally drop my stapler and close my eyes just to revel in his touch. There's a small knock on my open door and Loki's lips pause.

"Misty?" One of my least favourite coworkers is standing at the doorway, leering in at Loki and I. He clears his throat and stands up straight, though I can tell he's not happy to be interrupted. Brittany stares at Loki as I casually continue to organize the messy state I left my desk in for most of the week. I glance back at Brittany and she smiles.

"He's cute. Where'd you find him? Tall, too. We could use another male model for spring's swimsuit spread."

I narrow my eyes angrily with my back still turned. Loki laughs, and I know he's going to have fun with this bitch.

"Flattering," he says in a seductive voice, "But I'm not sure my wife enjoys me being objectified," he adds in just as hypnotic a tone. I turn to glance at Brittany's stupid I-done-fucked-up expression as she smiles crookedly. Loki laughs again and Brittany follows suit nervously.

"Wife! Oh I didn't know you were married, Misty. I thought you just had a kid. Well, I just—I just wanted to say that your, uhm, that new lens you ordered came in. Farrah wanted me to let you know—I mean, I was supposed to bring it to you—" Brittany stutters, taking a nervous step out of the doorway. I lean on one hand against the table.

"Well, that's great! Thanks!" I say with the fakest enthusiasm that I almost make myself laugh. Brittany spares Loki the once over again, knowing it's the last time she will ever look at him like that without getting slapped.

"But I honestly wouldn't mind being in a swimsuit spread," Loki says, and for a moment, I'm not sure whether he's teasing me or not. I slap his chest playfully.

"Is that the one who started the rumor about Logan having a deadbeat for a dad?" Loki asks, his eyes narrowing angrily. In the past, I'd had to take Logan to work with me a handful of times before we'd found him the proper sitter, and Brittany, for some reason beyond me, felt the need to start up falsities about me and my son. Loki trembles slightly for a moment, glaring through my office window at Brittany, who is walking away stupidly.

"Mhmm," I mumble uninterestedly.

"Do you want me to trip her for you?" Loki asks. As I glance over at him, I know he's serious.

"Well, I wouldn't mind if—" and I watch Loki's pale hand wave. Although Brittany is out of view, I hear her screaming and a subsequent crash follows. I didn't think Loki would _seriously _do it. He laughs through his nose and I rush to the door to find Brittany's legs in the air in a pile of mail that an intern had been carting past. Somebody sticks their head out of their cubicle to see what all the commotion is about. I glance at Loki with an open mouth, in some disbelief.

"What? She had it coming. No one talks about my son like that without consequence."

"I cannot believe you just did that," I say, fighting a smile.

Loki shrugs nonchalantly.

"It's nothing. She'll just have a few paper cuts," he assures me with a wicked grin. I still fight my smile, not wanting to encourage Loki's uncouth behaviour, but I know he hears the small laugh that escapes my mouth when I start back to my desk. I hear the door close and the lock clicks, and then the shade falls. I pull open a drawer and try to ignore Loki as best I can.

"You are the fire of my loins," Loki hisses, and I feel a breeze as he makes his way towards me. I try my best not to get aroused, but I find myself unsuccessful as Loki breathes down my neck, gnawing at it gently.

"I think we need a little we time," he whispers, "I don't feel like I've had a thorough chance to be alone with you all week."

I laugh and lean back into him.

"We go to sleep in the same bed every night. What are you talking about?"

Loki squeezes me so that I can no longer focus on my desk.

"That's what I meant, _sleep_. I want to make love," Loki grumbles.

He litters my neck with kisses and I close the drawer.

"But only if you're feeling well. Are you?" Loki asks me seriously, letting go so I can turn around.

"Perfect, thankfully. I was extremely nauseous with Logan for the entire first trimester."

"Oh, you don't have to remind _me_," Loki says with a sorry smile. He caresses my hair a moment before kissing my lips, letting his tongue dip into my mouth, simultaneously pressing his body into mine to make me sit upon my desk, maneuvering his hands under my knees to pull my legs around his waist. I press against his chest.

"Not here," I whisper, "You know I can't be quiet and that bitch has a big mouth," I add, and Loki knows I'm talking about Brittany.

"Besides, we should meet up with Thor and Jane ASAP, so that Logan gets to spend some time with us before the day is over. He'll be really upset if we don't at least skate with him."

Loki nods, "Okay. But later, you're _mine_," he says possessively, and my neck and cheeks alight with feverish blood. I laugh and grab my camera, and Loki grips my waist as we leave my office. As we pass Brittany, who is helping the intern pick up the mail she fell into, Loki makes a point to kiss my cheek lingeringly, and I glance out of the corner of my eyes to find Brittany ogling Loki like she's jealous of me, and my heart dances.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki on skates is the funniest sight I've ever seen. He gives up trying to stand and leans against the wall, while Logan and Jane are making progress out in the middle of the rink, Thor spotting him as he laughs and slides along as Jane pulls him.

"Come on, Loki," I say, trying to pry him away from the wall. He shakes his head vehemently.

"I don't want to make you fall," he says reluctantly. I just laugh.

"For a frost giant, you're pretty afraid of ice," I joke.

"I'm not afraid," Loki says a tad defensively, puffing his chest out dominantly.

"I know—I just want you to try. Come _on_! I remember how hard it was for _me_ when I first started. If you don't _try_, you won't make progress. Look! Logan's enjoying himself, and he can only stand while someone's holding his hands."

Loki spots our son, and I watch him slowly smile. He looks at Logan sweetly.

"That's my boy," he says to himself, proudly.

"Then show him you're just as able and get off that wall," I smile. Loki sighs and rolls his eyes before taking both my hands. He struggles, but in about another minute, I get him to stand at last. He slips, nearly falling as I start to skate backwards, his hands weighing on my shoulders, and then he gasps and pushes them up under my arms to keep me upright.

"I don't want to make you fall, ladybug," he says worriedly. I simply laugh.

"I'm serious, Misty. You shouldn't be over-exerting yourself now."

"Loki, I'm a grown woman, not a glass. And I'm not even showing yet, so relax."

He tries to calm down and stop worrying, keeping his eyes on me and sparing glances at Logan, who is at last taking baby steps unassisted by Jane. Thor has no trouble skating forward, at the very least. While Loki stares and smiles at Logan, I slowly detach his hands from me, until finally, he's on his own and doesn't even realize it until I start skating in circles around him. His eyes widen when at last he realizes that he's standing up straight by himself on the ice.

"Don't freak out—just take really small glides," I encourage. Loki makes slow movements slipping a little as he tries to skate a few feet towards me, his hair falling into his face. He makes it to me before clutching my hand. Loki smiles down at me with triumph.

"You did it!"

"Yes, but I'm nowhere _near _as graceful as you," he says.

"Just keep trying," I say encouragingly, "skate with me."

Loki clutches my hand and laughs each time he nearly falls. I take it upon myself to start skating backwards, pulling Loki forwards. He starts to be able to glide about a foot or so without wobbling too much, but when I stop and lean into his chest to kiss him, he falls straight back, pulling me with him, and we shout. I find myself on top of him on the ice. Loki stares up with frustration before laughing.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" I ask, worried about his back. Loki only laughs harder.

"It would take much more than a little fall to injure me," he says reassuringly. Sometimes I forget that my husband is a god and not a vulnerable human being like myself. Loki wraps his arms around my waist and lifts his head.

"I love you," he says out of nowhere. I smile down at him and he kisses me. We're interrupted by Logan screeching. He calls for Loki as Jane skates him towards us.

"Everything's fine, baby bear," Loki says reassuringly, sitting up with me.

We spend time laughing and enjoying each other's company, and by the time Loki is fastening Logan into the booster seat in his Toyota, I hug Thor and Jane, thanking them for taking such good care of Logan when I went to the emergency room last night.

"Honestly, it was great spending time getting to know him," Jane says, holding my hand tenderly, "Sis." I laugh and smile, having completely forgotten until that moment that we are technically siblings-in-law.

"I feel like it prepared us for this one," she adds, pointing down at her stomach. Thor laughs.

"If there's one thing I've learnt, it's that sweets are your _worst _enemy for the children," Thor says, his eyes widening a bit and a smile spreading across his face.

"The little bildshnipe was running to every exhibit at the museum after I got him that ice cream!"

I wag my finger, "That must be because you also snuck him that huge cupcake for breakfast when you thought I wasn't looking," I reprimand, half-jokingly.

"Even for the mighty Thor, children are tiring," Jane says, gazing up at him. Thor laughs.

"Well, good luck if I don't see you guys again before you leave. I'd love to be there when yours is born, but," I glance back to find Loki shutting the car door and walking the short distance towards Jane, Thor, and I with a smile on his face.

"We're not taking Logan to Asgard anytime soon. In fact, I shouldn't be traveling that far away from my doctor just now; I'm pregnant again," I say, deciding to slip the news. Thor's thick, blonde, brows arch in surprise and Jane screeches, clasping both hands over her mouth excitedly before clutching my shoulders and shaking them jovially. I can't fight the wide smile that begins to make my mouth ache as I laugh and we hug again.

"_My_, what did I miss?" Loki asks, right before Thor strangles him into a bear hug.

"Yeah, I'm going to miss you, too, brother," Loki says, smiling with confusion.

"Is it a girl? If it's a girl, we have _got_ to do matching dresses, Misty—wait, I can bring you something back from our trip," Jane dishes excitedly. Loki's eyes grow large as he looks at me a moment, but he quickly relaxes and clasps my hand.

"I thought you wanted to wait until your doctor's appointment next week," he says gently into my ear before kissing my cheek. I shake my head and sigh.

"Something tells me it's going to be okay," I say genuinely.

"Congratulations, little brother," Thor beams.

"Thanks," Loki grins, his cheeks flushing with heat momentarily. He pulls his arm around my waist.

"I hope it's a girl. We need more women in this family," Thor adds.

Loki laughs, "Right? I want a girl, too. I know Logan will be an _amazing_ older brother. We'd never have to worry about her."

"Oh my gosh, this is why you passed out last night, _isn't it_?!" Jane asks, unable to contain her excitement. I nod. She hugs Loki. Thor snatches me up, his embrace taking me at least a foot off the ground for a moment, and his blonde beard scratches my cheek as he kisses it.

"Little sister," he smiles, putting me down.

We part ways, and as I walk back to Loki's car, his arm strewn around my waist once more, I have never felt more agape.

In the car, Logan sleepily repeats to us his fun day with aunt Jane and uncle Thor. At a red light, Loki pauses to stare back at Logan, who yawns when I glance back at him too. I feel Loki's hand weave into mine and smile. As soon as we arrive home, we get busy putting Logan to bed, the two of us kneeling on the floor at the tub in the bathroom down the hall from Logan's room, while he plays with his little plastic Spider-Man and the myriad of other toys he likes to take to his baths. I stare lovingly at Loki's arms, the black sleeves rolled up creating a stark contrast against his skin as he starts to wash Logan's hair. I reach for Logan's foot under the water and he giggles, keeping his eyes closed.

"Mommy, is that you?" he asks with a big smile.

"Maybe," I joke.

"It's _you_, mommy! I know your touch," Logan says confidently. Loki laughs and guides Logan to lean back, to rinse his hair. He starts to wash his back with the bar of soap and Logan shivers.

"And I know that's you, daddy, 'cause your hands are always cold," Logan says, shivering. Loki gazes into my eyes.

"Do you want mommy to wash you instead?" he asks. Logan shakes his head vehemently.

"I _like _the cold," Logan says, and it's my turn to stare curiously into Loki's eyes. When we're finished, I pull the plug and Logan stands up, yawning dramatically. Loki laughs and wraps him in a towel, coddling him like a baby. Logan kicks.

"I'm not a baby," he says defiantly. Loki laughs and holds him close to his chest, shushing him, rocking him like an infant in front of the mirror. For a moment, I am reminded of this familiar technique Loki had used to get him to stop crying as a baby. I lean back against the tiled wall and cross my arms, grinning at my son and my husband. Logan grumbles before whining and Loki stops swaying him to stand him up on the sink so that he's at eye level, his towel slipping when he stomps his foot on the porcelain.

"Alright, alright," Loki says hastily, "Don't do that, you're going to break the sink," he says calmly.

"_Humph_," Logan grumbles angrily, and I definitely know he's tired, because that's when his attitude comes out.

"But you're always going to be _my_ baby boy, aren't you, Logan?" Loki asks, pressing his forehead to Logan's after removing a few dark strings of hair from his wet face. Loki gazes into Logan's eyes, and slowly but surely, the boy's frustrated tight lips turn up into a smile, his nose smooshed up against Loki's. The god smiles with mischief. Logan laughs, and it is an eerily identical, yet puerile, echo of Loki's own cackle.

"Yeah, daddy," Logan whispers, before falling tiredly against Loki's chest.

"I'm going to run us a nice hot bath. When I come back, I want you to be naked," Loki says as I finish folding the last of my clean clothes on the bedspread. I laugh as Loki disappears into the bathroom. I listen to him washing the tub. As soon as I put my clothes away, I start to undress. I'm naked and waiting on the bed by the time Loki walks out of the bathroom, his clothes folded over his arm. He grins and throws them into his hamper before stepping towards the bed to collect me. As he carries me into the bathroom, the scent of eucalyptus meets my nose and I immediately begin to feel relaxed. The bubbles are thick and white atop the surface of the water. Loki pauses in front of the tub and lets me into it. When I turn around, he's stepping into the water. He grabs my waist and leads me to sit down. I rest my head against his chest as he leans back, inhaling the calming aroma. Loki wraps his arms around me.

"Today was a beautiful day," he says, kissing my forehead. I rest my head against his chest and circle his nipple playfully.

"I know," I say, massaging his chest with some bubbles, trying my best not to slip so that my face hits the surface. Loki notices this and holds me up so that my head is resting on his shoulder and I can breathe into his beautiful, long neck.

"So, I started thinking of names for our daughter," he says

"Eda, Lilith, Lydia, Olivia, Lucy, Lena," Loki says. I start to laugh at all the Ls.

"Luna, Lynn, Lucille…" Loki laughs softly.

"Maybe even Frigga," he says a bit nostalgically, and the way his voice drops a hint pulls at my heartstrings. I kiss the underside of his chin.

"What makes you so sure it's going to be a girl?" I ask. Loki's hand passes across my abdomen and rests below my navel, despite there not yet being movement to feel.

"Well, I need a little princess to go along with prince Logan," he says matter-of-factly. I laugh. Loki tilts his head to the side to meet his temple with my forehead. His hair dusts lightly over my face, occluding my vision. I inhale deeply again and all the eucalyptus calms my airways.

"I like this scent. Where'd you get it?" I ask.

"Actually, it's that body wash you bought me from Whole Foods as part of my Christmas gift," Loki says. I close my eyes peacefully, drawing my other arm around him. After a few relaxing minutes of silence, he sits up a ways and then I feel him passing a washcloth down my back. I smile without teeth.

"What do you want to do for Logan's birthday, and yours?" Loki asks, rubbing my hip beneath the water. I sit up and migrate to the other end of the tub, cupping handfuls of bubbles playfully. Loki tilts his head to the side and watches me, as if mesmerized.

"I dunno," I respond. Logan's birthday is on the thirty first of January, and mine is shortly after, on the fourth of February.

"When should we break the news to him?" Loki asks, eying my lower half, which is hidden beneath the foam.

"Maybe we should wait until I start showing…I just feel like I want to wait until we know everything is really okay. I'll have a doctor's appointment next week, so my OB should be able to tell me what exactly is going on," I say a bit distractedly, running my palm along the length of my caesarian scar. Loki nods.

"That's fine. No rush," he says soothingly. Loki moves towards me in the water, sitting on his knees. I smile and grab the loofah resting in the soap dish. I push it beneath the bubbles to soak up some water.

"Close your eyes," I say softly. Loki obeys me and smiles, waiting. I drench his head so that his hair plasters to his face. As he laughs, his Adam's apple bounces. I reach for the bottle of mint shampoo he likes to use, carefully wetting his hair some more before pouring some of the shampoo into my palm.

"What are you doing?" Loki asks curiously.

"Washing you, of course," I grin. Loki bows his head towards me as I begin to lather his hair up.

"Mmmm," he mumbles pleasantly as I massage his scalp. I then use the loofah to wash his chest and arms, sitting up on my knees to reach around and scrub his back. As I do so, Loki wraps his arms around me, his eyes still closed.

"I could be blinded, and I'd still know your touch," Loki explains in the most relaxed voice.

"Your hands, the way you move, I'd always know it's you," he says, leaning in on me a ways. I kiss the tip of his nose, the only part of him not covered in suds.

"Lift you arms," I command. Loki laughs and does as I say. He laughs harder when I wash his armpits, complaining that I'm tickling him, although I think I'm rubbing hard enough that it shouldn't tickle. The hair under Loki's arms is just as dark as the hair on his head, and his pubes, which I can see now just above the dissipating white suds, as he sits up a bit taller. Loki stops laughing when I reach below the water to wash his manhood.

"Oooo," he says seductively, moaning when I teasingly wrap my fingers around him and massage firmly with suds for a few seconds. He pushes his waist towards me. I move around to his ass and loofah it vigorously.

"You're such a tease," he says half jokingly. As the suds continue to disappear, I can finally see his full glory and it begins to arouse me. I pull the plug and close the shower curtain to start the water. I screech as the cold jet hits me, but Loki doesn't move an inch. I watch the corners of his lips curl up into a smile. I adjust the shower temperature and stand to aim the water directly on Loki. I watch the suds slide down his pale muscles, and I just stand there staring. Shortly, Loki starts to pull his hands over the top of his head, brushing his hair out of his eyes. When he squints up through the water to see me standing there naked, he grins.

"I'm afraid it's your turn, honey," Loki says, grabbing my soap out of the dish. Before I can make a move, Loki pulls me closer and starts on my left arm, rubbing the bar up and down slowly and somewhat firmly. I close my eyes as the water trickles over us. He does my other arm, before sliding his soapy hands up and down my torso, placing the soap back in the tray a moment to massage my breasts. He then pulls me to him abruptly and takes care of my back, and as he's doing so, I bite down into his peck. Loki inhales sharply through his teeth as I mark up his chest, and I can tell that he likes it from the hardness I begin to feel against me where I'm pressed to his body. He then pulls me away from him suddenly, his eyes flitting hungrily over me. He kneels and massages the soap up and down my legs and cups the mounds of my behind, massaging them till they're sudsy. He drops the soap in the tray and gently rubs his palms across my womanhood, taking his time.

"You're going to get it for touching me like that," he says with complete seriousness, staring up into my eyes. Nonetheless, I laugh. Loki stands up and grabs my waist, pressing me against the cold shower wall.

"You think it's funny to tease me? Let me give you a taste of your own medicine." Loki grabs the detachable showerhead and pulls free the hand-held portion to spray water down my body. He lingers on my stomach before pushing the damn thing full force between my legs. I gasp and grip Loki's shoulders. He's very careful to position the water pressure against my clitoris, and the next thing I know, I scream. The water leaves me, and while laughing, Loki clamps a hand over my mouth.

"You don't want to wake Logan," he says warningly, unable to wipe the smirk off his face.

"You're _evil_," I pant, needing him badly, "Pure evil," I moan, running my nails down Loki's back.

"You like that?" he asks darkly. He side steps between my legs, nearly causing me to slip, so that they are further apart. Loki forces the showerhead up between my legs again, and I nearly scream as I grip his shoulders, the sound of him laughing arousing me even further.

"Look at you squirm," he says with delight.

"I need you—I need you," I gasp, grasping at Loki's ass. When I open my eyes, I can see that he's more than enjoying this, his pale skin alight from all the steam in the shower, on top of his arousal.

"You should've thought of that before you teased me, Misty," he says, cocking a brow. I bite my lip so that I don't scream. I grab Loki's wrist where he's holding the showerhead between my legs. He turns the dial on it that changes the setting to a gentler mist, and the water stops propelling so hard against my sensitive flesh. I try to keep his hand there, but he pulls the showerhead away abruptly and fits it back into the holder, pushing his hands through his hair one more time before turning the water off and stepping out. I stand there against the wall, still reeling and dripping wet.

"Are you serious?" I ask, half jokingly. Loki wraps his towel around his waist and turns around to smile at me; unfiltered mischief. He hands me my towel and I just stare at it.

"Get back in here and fuck me," I demand. Loki laughs. I try to grab his arm and he easily slips it out of my grasp. He looks me dead in the eyes with a pleasant smile on his face as he neatly tucks my towel back into the rack. I cross my arms and glare at him.

"You know, you're pretty sexy when you're agitated," Loki says before opening the bathroom door and leaving me there. Oh no he didn't! After several seconds, I realize that Loki isn't coming back, so I finish up in the shower and dry off. I intend to give him a piece of my mind when I walk into our bedroom. I find him rubbing in lotion, sitting naked on the bed. He smiles at me as I lunge towards him, pulling my towel off and throwing it on the nightstand. He laughs, but I can see that he's erect; he wasn't going to just leave me hanging, and I knew it deep down.

"You bastard," I snarl, feeling a pulsating heat surging through my veins and swelling between my legs. Loki stops rubbing lotion into his chest to wag a finger at me.

"That's no way to speak to your husb—"

Both my palms make contact with his chest and I shove him as hard as I can. Loki laughs and lies on his back as I mount him. I grip his member and direct it towards my opening. He exhales a passionate sigh and closes his eyes, tucking his hands under his head in a relaxed fashion. My walls strain when I try to fit him inside of me hastily and I wince amorously. Loki opens his eyes and gazes up at me with a crooked smile. I manage to engulf him a quarter of the way before I realize I'm not yet wet enough.

"Having trouble, ladybug?" Loki asks sweetly. He begins to sit up and I literally press my entire hand over his face, causing him to lie back down. He laughs beneath my palm and kisses it, which tickles me. I refrain from giggling.

"You lie there and think about what you've done," I say scoldingly. Loki laughs some more. I try again to allow him inside of me, sitting up where I straddle him, massaging my opening with his tip in attempts to generate more wetness. Loki's eyes feast upon the spectacle that is my heated body. He grins without teeth. I try yet again to take him in, which proves difficult, as I'm not used to being on top.

"Need help, baby?" Loki breathes. I glare down at him jokingly.

"Shhh! You're still in timeout," I snarl. Loki's smile never wanes. I stop trying to force myself open on him and throw my legs over to his side. I lean down and slip the head of his manhood into my mouth to get it wetter. Loki moans and I feel a hand reach up and claw my ass tightly. I laugh, muffled by his girth in my mouth, his hands brushing desperately up and down my back. I didn't usually blow him, but I knew he loved it when I did. I'm careful not to choke myself as I invite two or three inches of his shaft between my lips. Loki inhales sharply through gritted teeth.

"Mmmmm, I'll have to get myself into trouble with you more often," he explains, lifting up his head to marvel at my work. I place one hand on Loki's taut stomach and the other on his leg before sucking him hard a handful of times, coating his thickness with spit. He whimpers and the sound is music to my ears.

"_Shit_, Misty," Loki growls throatily. The fire intensifies between my legs, and the sound of Loki babbling arouses me further. Without even consciously thinking to do so, I start touching myself, grazing my clit to create friction. I glide my tongue harshly across Loki's head, earning the first drop of his salty pre-cum. I suck him hard again, turning my gaze to his face in time to watch his eyes roll closed, the force of my sucking causing me to draw his length further into my mouth.

"Shit, Misty," Loki curses again in a pithy exhale. I engulf him until the tip touches my throat lightly. And then I stop, releasing him entirely. Loki sits upon his elbows and looks at me in surprise, cocking a brow. His chest heaves a moment. I stop touching myself and smile at him. I wipe my mouth and start out of bed to get dressed.

"No!" Loki whines, and he sounds like a kid that's just licked their ice cream off the cone to cry about it falling on the ground. I watch his pale hands pleadingly grab my waist.

"P-please," he chatters, "I'm sorry—I'm sorry. I was just playing with you. Please fuck me," Loki begs passionately, planting such a hot kiss in the middle of my back that I pause to revel in the shivers it sends up and down the length of my spine. I turn around and push him back again. As I mount him, my arousal drips from between my legs and onto Loki's pelvis. He licks his lips with anticipation and fastens an iron grip on my waist.

"I know," I whisper cruelly. I guide him inside me with complete ease this time, moaning as my inner thighs make contact with Loki's skin. He sighs in relief, sinking comfortably into my cushiony tightness. I roll my hips forward, grinding on him so that my sensitive bud is stimulated just so. I begin moaning, and I catch a glimpse of the door, which is halfway open.

"Shit," I curse, and begin to get up; Logan's bedroom is just down the hall and I don't want to risk him hearing my soon-to-be passionate cries, mistake them for agony, and come running to mommy's rescue. Loki pulls me back down by my waist, pouting at me.

"The door is open," I breathe, tucking some hair behind my ear. Loki merely smiles at me, and with a wave of his hand, the door closes quietly. His magic could really come in handy at times. As I continue to work my waist, Loki inhales deeply before blowing up at my chest, causing the nipples to erect. I plant my hands on his strong chest for support and tilt my waist up, pausing a moment before grinding on him in an agonizingly slow manner. Loki knows that I'm not doing this to tease him, but to stimulate my swelling bud. His right hand slides up my stomach, stopping on my breast to massage it. I start grinding harder, a little faster. Loki's green eyes are wide with delight and arousal as he watches me, the pupils slowly dilating.

"That's it, honey. Take me deeper," he goads, the blood beneath his chest boiling to the surface. I begin to moan much louder, my palms heating and sweating all over his pallor.

"Look at that," Loki breathes, cupping both my breasts as they begin to bounce with my movements.

"Such a beautiful body, ladybug." Loki ogles me with utmost desire. He starts to thrust up between my legs sharply, tacitly asking me to fuck him harder. I acquiesce. Loki grips my hands, folding his fingers into mine. Supported by his grip, I let myself go wild. Loki grunts with anticipation, sporadically charging up between my thighs to meet my thrusts, and we begin to approach climax together. When I orgasm, Loki's upper body lifts up off the quilt slightly, his nose scrunching up, and his teeth baring in that familiar orgasmic expression. Our palms are sweaty on one another's, Loki gripping my hands tightly in the moment. Panting, I feel my walls closing around his girth, the muscles spasming gratefully. As he lies back down, cheeks glowing angelically, he's so beautiful that I can't bear to look away. I cup the back of Loki's head in my hands, his hair still damp from the shower. He's still inside of me, softening gradually when I lean down to kiss him. He smiles as I kiss his forehead, kissing my way down to his lips. Loki runs his hands up and down my body repeatedly.

"I like it when you make love to me," he says honestly, "It's cute and intense." He grins after I kiss his lips again and the blood rushes to my cheeks. I laugh, raising my waist slowly.

"No—not just yet," Loki begs, pulling me back down. He rolls over and rests on top of me in a loving embrace, until he's too soft to stay inside. Loki sits up after spending a number of minutes kissing me all over. I reach for my lotion on the nightstand and start putting it on. I hear Loki sigh contentedly and turn to find him slipping into his green, flannel pajama pants. He lies back in bed, his upper body resting against the headboard contentedly, hands tucked behind his head as he watches me get ready for bed.

"Yeah, I can't believe I didn't realize you were carrying again; your breasts are bigger than usual," he says honestly. I laugh and finish moisturizing my legs. Loki pulls the covers back in anticipation, preparing my usual spot on his right. I throw on an old t-shirt from my alma mater and slip into a pair of white PJ pants with red snowflakes on them. I grin and turn on the little TV which sits on one of the bureau tops to catch the evening news. I walk to the door to open it halfway; it's something Loki and I have become accustomed to doing, as Logan would often run into our bed in the middle of the night after a bad dream. He sometimes likes to creep in to wake us up on the weekends as well. I crawl into bed where Loki is waiting for me.

"I hate Mondays," I groan, pressing my face immediately into Loki's chest, sighing. He wraps both arms around me, and I can hear in the background the five-day weather forecast.

"Well, it's Sunday tomorrow, so we can both sleep in. Don't worry. If that Brittany harlot spews more lies about Logan, let me know so that I can send her a special delivery at the office. You know, like an ink bomb, some wasps, anthrax," Loki says, and while he speaks, I lift my head to gaze down on the frighteningly bright and cheerful smile on his face, his sharp features glinting in the lamp light. I laugh hesitantly; he had tripped Brittany without me even asking, and I'm fairly certain that he wouldn't have thought twice about murdering her.

"I'll keep you posted. I promise," I say. Loki pets my arm and back as I rest my head on his chest to watch the news. He makes a dissatisfied grumble and I feel his chest vibrate beneath my ear.

"Tsk, tsk, Midgardians are _crazy_," he says when a story finishes up about a man murdering his wife and unborn son.

"Well, if anything, the boy was spared the trouble of growing up with a degenerate for a father." As I gaze at Loki's face, it appears that he's speaking to himself. He reaches for the remote control on the nightstand and turns the TV off. Holding me tightly and possessively for a moment, Loki kisses my forehead soothingly. We turn on our sides and Loki snaps the lamp off before spooning me. I fall into a deep, dreamless, and satisfying sleep…


	3. Chapter 3

Monday arrives and by lunch time, I find myself already extremely stressed out. The only upsides are that the new lens for my camera fits, and I'll be picking Logan up from school around 5:00. Usually, it's my best friend, Prudence, who picks him up, because I often stay until six to develop film in the dark room. I know Logan will be happy to see me; he doesn't even know about the change of plans. I can't help smiling thinking about my son as I make my way to the bathroom, but I pause when I hear Brittany gossiping with a secretary.

"And then he said, _'I'm not sure my wife enjoys me being objectified_,' like he didn't know how fucking sexy he was. Like, I can't believe he's _really _her husband! I bet you she paid some model to pretend he was her husband. I bet you. He looked _just_ like your standard model, tall, sharp features, he had these green eyesto _die_ for—ugh! He was super, super pale, but that didn't even matter 'cause I'm telling you—Farrah—he was so sexy it's not even funny. And his voice. I wish you could've seen him! I was so fucking jealous. When I walked in, it looked like he was straight up trying to fuck Misty on her desk…" I hide around the corner to listen to Brittany prattle on.

"I hate her. It's not fair. She got a new office with that promotion, too—the one with the fucking window that I wanted, so I could smoke out of it during my lunch break without having to go outside. I remember seeing her baby—you know how she sometimes used to bring him to work? He was kinda ugly, so I find it hard to believe that the man I saw is the father."

My blood begins to boil, and I seriously consider texting Loki to have him send Brittany those wasps, but I maintain my composure and walk around the corner, passing right by the bitch, who stops mid-sentence, unaware that I heard every other thing she said.

"Oh, h-hi, Misty," she grins, tapping her nails on Farrah's desk. The secretary gawks up at me with eyes that look as if they want to say, "I didn't say anything." I simply cast Brittany an empty gaze as I pass. When I get into the bathroom, I kick the trashcan over and then slam the paper towel dispenser angrily. I breathe uneasily, my hands shaking as I text Loki hurriedly. Despite knowing that I'm acting out of fury, I know I want to see Brittany suffer. I manage to punch in the words: _Guess who was talking about you?_, on my phone before pressing the send button. If I add that Brittany was talking shit about Logan, I know that she might suddenly mysteriously disappear. Though I hate her, I can't also help feeling hesitant to elicit Loki's darker side. I take some deep breaths, calming myself down, but then I start crying. How _dare_ that woman talk about my baby like that?! He'd never wronged her in any way, shape, or form. It made me angry enough to hear her talking about Loki. I dial his number and call him, barely able to contain my sobs as I hurry into a stall, lock the door, and lean back against the wall. Loki picks up after the third ring.

"Hey, ladybug. I'm _just_ leaving the office for lunch so you couldn't have called at a better time. What's up." When I start to talk, my voice is barely intelligible. Loki's worried words flutter into my ear.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—hold on. Are you okay, Misty? Take a deep breath. You're scaring me," Loki says worriedly on the other line. I finally relax, pulling toilet paper off the roll to wipe my eyes and nose. I'm still crying audibly, but only enough that Loki can still understand what I'm saying. I explain to him what I overheard, and I can easily picture the rage in his expression without seeing his face.

"Do you want me to come by?" Loki asks. I sigh.

"No, no, I don't want a scene or anything. I didn't even approach the bitch," I explain. Loki sighs, and I can hear how displeased he is.

"I'm just really upset because I've never done anything to her. It was one thing to hear her lusting after you, but completely another for her to fucking insult my baby," I explain angrily, my voice wavering at the end of my sentence.

"You stay there. I'll be right over."

I hear the dial tone; fear and joy mix into my heart simultaneously. I know that Brittany will be sorry. I start trying to imagine what Loki might do to her, and before I know it, I'm feeling much better! After about ten minutes of sitting at my desk to look through some photos from last week, there is a knock on my door.

"Misty? You have an…uhm, visitor? Says he's your husband," Farrah explains. I have nothing against the secretary, as she usually comes to tell me later what shit Brittany was talking about almost everyone in the office. I smile and stand up. I start to realize that perhaps it's no surprise Brittany doesn't believe Loki is my husband, as I never even brought it up at work that I got married when I did. I just showed up the next week with a ring on my finger, and only a handful of coworkers noticed or bothered to ask. I follow Farrah, who keeps glancing back at me, as we make our way to the waiting room.

"And—I don't wanna ruin your day—but Brittany was talking about your son again. I don't know why she does it."

"Yeah, thanks for telling me, but I actually heard her while she was telling you."

Farrah shakes her head. She opens one of the transparent double doors, behind which I can see Loki sitting on the cream coloured sofa, and he immediately stands up, rushing over to me. He wraps his arms around me protectively. Farrah stands there blinking.

"Thank you," Loki grins at her.

"Sure, no problem," Farrah explains kindly. She lets the door close and returns to her desk, where she can still see us but this doesn't bother me.

"Do you want to go home? Do you want me to take you home where you won't have to deal with this fuckery?" Loki asks, pointing past me towards the office.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you come all the way over here. I was just really upset." Loki stares beyond the transparent doors, and I know he's looking for Brittany.

"No, I couldn't leave you here to deal with all of that. Where is the quim?" he asks, his eyebrows wrinkling with displeasure. I laugh.

"Don't," I whisper, "Just—just, forget about it. I shouldn't have called you like that. I'm sorry. You should be eating lunch," I say, straightening his tie. Loki gazes down at me lovingly.

"She made you cry, Misty. I don't like people who make my wife cry. I want to give her a piece of my mind."

"I already feel much better, okay? You don't have to do anything," I assure Loki. He leans down to press his forehead against mine, holding me tighter.

"I was worried about you. You don't cry over just anything…she must have really said some stupid _shit_. If I directly hear her so much as utter Logan's name, I can't be held responsible for what might happen to that bitch," Loki says, but only loud enough for me to hear. I laugh and he smiles before kissing me. We stand there kissing for at least two full minutes, and my body starts to feel too warm for comfort, especially where one of Loki's hands is resting on my ass. He sighs, staring into the office again.

"_No_," I say firmly, and he sends me a mischievous smile.

"Come on, Loki. I refuse to let her know she got to me," I explain.

"Just let me come eat my lunch in your office," he grins.

Loki passes his hands up and down my back comfortingly.

"Please? I promise I'll behave," he says, but the smile on his face tells me otherwise.

"I just don't want her bothering you, either," I explain worriedly.

"She won't," Loki assures me. He shakes a paper bag that has apparently materialized out of thin air.

"Come on. You're not going to make me drive all the way back to work without some energy," he says, coaxing me. I turn for the door and beckon Loki to follow me. I grin at Farrah who returns my smile as she answers the phone that starts to ring. When I glance back at Loki, I find him looking around very carefully, and I know he's looking for Brittany. My heart skips a beat as his gaze pauses on somebody at the photo copier, but once the lady checks out, he follows me hastily. I stand with crossed arms at my office door, some intern popping out of his cubicle to see who exactly is the black-suited, tall, pale figure sauntering through the office. Loki laughs below his breath as he passes through my door. I slap his bottom rather harshly, which makes him laugh even more. I leave the door open and pull the shade down a bit, as the sun is intensely in Loki's face where he sits in the spare chair.

"Thanks, kitten," he says. I tell him I'm going to the kitchen to grab my lunch from the fridge while he makes himself comfortable. I refill my water bottle at the bubbler, and by the time I make it back to my office, I can see Brittany leaning in halfway, asking Loki where I am. She starts backing out of the doorway when she hears my heels click, indicating my return. Her eyes are wide when I walk into my office. Loki is sitting back in the chair at my desk, holding my day planner, looking extremely dominant in a way that begins to make me wet.

"Well, _there_ she is," Loki says, grinning up at me. I can tell that his expression is just a cover, and he is really seething beneath the surface. I turn around to look at Brittany, placing my lunch on the desk.

"Did you want something?" I ask her. Loki stands up and kisses the back of my neck, pulling an arm around me, and dropping my planner on the desk before rubbing my stomach.

"Uhm," Brittany sighs, distracted by Loki's presence. He kisses my shoulder, and I turn to a photo album on my desk, opening it to find an empty page. There is an odd moment of silence in which I don't bother to look up before I hear Loki laugh quietly.

"I just wanted to let you know that there's probably going to be an additional model next week for the shoot, for men's swimwear. Uhm, uhh," she says, scratching the back of her head. I spare Brittany a glance and she looks like she doesn't know what she just said. Loki is giving me his undivided attention, towering over me where I continue to flip through the album on my desk. He wraps his other arm around me.

"Really?" I explain.

Brittany nods dumbly before walking away, looking extremely flustered. Loki laughs triumphantly before groaning in a yawn as he tackles my hands palm down atop my desk, his body pressed securely up against my back.

"That was fun," he says seductively. I turn to look at the open door before moving away from Loki.

"Is something wrong?" he asks me as I sigh, opening my shopping bag to start on my lunch.

"I just…I've been trying to figure out _what _she has against me," I explain. As I bite into my sandwich, Loki starts on his own. We sit knee-to-knee in the two chairs in my office.

"Well, honey, some people are just evil. It's their nature," Loki explains after swallowing a bite. I start laughing genuinely, but stop when Loki's expression remains serious.

"This stressful environment can't be good for the baby," he says, eying me worriedly. I wipe my mouth.

"I'm fine."

"You didn't sound fine on the phone," he presses.

"Like I said, I was just really upset." After a few silent moments of staring at my sandwich, Loki's pale hand meets my vision as it rests upon my knee heavily.

"Do you want me to take you home? I'll cancel the rest of my day and take care of you."

I shake my head.

"You're amazing, but no. I'm going to pick up Logan later. He doesn't even know yet," I explain.

"Are you really?" Loki asks in disbelief. I'm not generally the one to pick Logan up. It's usually one of my friends or Loki himself. I nod.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to work?" I ask, arching a brow. Loki frowns.

"So eager to get rid of me?"

I laugh lightly.

"I'm the CEO. I can do whatever I want, and if that means an hour long lunch break with my wife, then that is what I will do."

I grin. We finish eating and when I stand up to hug Loki goodbye, I catch Brittany walking past my office out of the corner of my eye. Loki kisses my forehead before throwing his jacket back on and starting out of my office, letting me know he should be home around nine after a meeting. I spend the rest of my day in a much more relaxed state.

When I park on the street in front of Logan's school, it is already dark. For that, I hate the winter. I walk up the steps and into the school after they buzz me in. As I walk down the hall, it feels as if I haven't been here in months, and I try to recall the last time I attended a parent-teacher conference in place of Loki. When I hear children laughing, I try to pick out my baby's voice. I see Logan sitting in a chair in the corner of the room by himself. He was never in after school care on days that Prue or Loki picked him up, but as I stand in the doorway observing him coloring by himself, he looks so alone that my eyes tear up. He looks so much like Loki that I can't help imagining how left out, how alienated Loki must have felt when he learned that he was a frost giant. I had an odd sense that Logan understood he was different from other children, but he didn't know exactly how much. Other children are playing a few feet away from him with one of the younger teachers, while the other appears to be going through her grade book at the desk.

"Mrs. Friggason?" She says, finally aware of my presence. She stands to greet me.

"I haven't seen you in…well, forever. How have you been?"

I smile as best I can.

"Alright, I guess."

The teacher, Ms. Ludbrook looks at me somewhat worriedly.

"…Is something wrong? Is Logan okay?" I ask, glancing over at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry—yes, of course. He's just been a bit…distant today. One of his friends told me he had been talking about an accident you had last weekend. He said Logan saw you pass out…is everything alright at home?"

"Oh—well _yes_, of course it is," I say, staring over at Logan, who still hasn't noticed me yet, "I did pass out, but it was nothing serious," I say reassuringly. I explain to the teacher that I had just been dehydrated and Logan got a bit scared, but he was otherwise okay. As I start towards him, he looks up, and his smile is so big that it makes me smile. He drops his crayon and runs over to me. I wait with open arms to pick him up and he wraps his around me tightly.

"Why didn't auntie Prue get me?" Logan asks, surprised to see me.

"'Cause _I _wanted to pick you up today. I just had to come a bit later, baby," I explain. Logan leans back to cup my face in his hands, something he often does to Loki and I. Logan pets my hair, his hands cool against my skin, the way that Loki's are.

"You ready to go?" I ask. Logan nods and I let him down to get his coat on. I pick up his lunch box and put it into his backpack.

"Did you eat your sandwich today?" I ask hopefully.

"Yes. Daddy made me grilled cheese, so I ate it," he says, smiling up at me.

"What about the celery and carrot sticks I added?" he nods.

"The apple?" I ask. Logan nods and reaches up for my hand as I lead him out of the room. He says goodnight to Ms. Ludbrook and she waves to him. Logan plays with my hair as I strap him into my car. I get in and start it, eager to get home.

"So, what do you want for your birthday this Friday?" I ask Logan sweetly, glancing at him in the rearview mirror. He smiles.

"Daddy didn't tell you? I want to go to Asgard. That's what I told him this morning when he drove me to school," Logan informs me.

"Oh, we'll have to see about that, baby," I say, thinking about everything Loki and I had been discussing lately.

"We went on vacation pretty recently. Dad and I want to save up again before we plan another trip."

Logan makes a dissatisfied noise.

"What else do you want?" I ask him, trying to take his mind off of Asgard. Logan sighs.

"I don't know," he says tiredly.

When I get home, I start making dinner for Logan and I, tucking a plate aside on the counter for Loki and covering it with foil. After I help Logan with some homework, I let him watch a bit of TV while I go upstairs to wash the tub. When I come to take Logan to his bath, he has fallen asleep on the couch. I gently remove his socks and pants, pulling his shirt over his head, at which point he wakes up.

"Mommy?" he grumbles tiredly.

"Somebody's tired," I whisper. He wraps his arms around my neck as I carry him upstairs. He steps out of his underwear and gets on the toilet. I go to put his clothes away and when I come back, he's flushing the toilet. I get him into the tub and quickly wash him up. While I dry him at the sink, he brushes his teeth and I help him floss. I help him into his PJs. He lies down in bed and I tuck him in before turning on his night light. I'm surprised to see him so tired so soon, and wonder whether he might be coming down with something.

"Where's daddy?" he asks me sleepily, his eyes half open.

"At a meeting. He'll be home in a bit. Get some sleep, baby." I kiss his cheek and leave him to rest. It is eight-thirty when Loki walks into the house. I'm cleaning up and making Logan's lunch for tomorrow as Loki walks into the kitchen.

"Is he already asleep?" Loki asks. I turn around at the sink to find him standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Mhmmm. He _just_ asked about you a bit ago."

Loki smiles and brings a bottle of wine into the kitchen.

"For us," he says.

After a moment, he slaps his hand to his forehead.

"Oh my word—not for _you_," he says, shaking his head before wrapping his arms around me. I laugh.

"Don't let me make a mistake like that again," he says, running his fingers over my stomach under the fabric of my shirt.

"I can't wait until you start showing, until we can find out if we're having a girl," he says, his voice soothing enough to put me to sleep. I lean back into him.

"Oh, it's been such a long day."

Loki heats up the plate I'd set aside for him, and while he eats, I sit at the table with a mug of hot water, just for the sake of warming up.

"Do you know what Logan told me when I asked him what he wanted for his birthday?"

Loki grins a moment after swallowing a mouthful.

"He's going to keep asking until we take him, Misty," Loki says honestly, placing a hand atop mine and giving it a squeeze momentarily.

"I told him we can't afford a vacation right now," I add.

"Well, that's not true, not that it would cost us a dime to get to Asgard."

"I know."

"I'm sorry, honey. That didn't come out right. I just meant—"

"I know."

Loki looks apologetically at me for a handful of seconds.

"He's got your cold hands."

Loki beams.

Tuesday morning arrives and I wake up not to the usual jazz on my alarm clock, but to Loki, who is rubbing my legs where he sits up in our bed. I grin up at him and shortly realize he's holding Logan, who's crying quietly into Loki's chest. I sit up straight, and when I'm about to ask what's wrong, Loki fills me in.

"He appears to be running a slight fever."

I reach for my son, pushing my palm between his forehead and Loki's chest; it's heated. Logan turns his face to the side so I can see his eyes, which are closed, tears leaking out. He groans between sobs, becoming more audible.

"He ran in to wake me up, crying about a nightmare," Loki explains, rubbing Logan's back soothingly with concern washed all over his face. Logan reaches out for me and Loki hands him to me.

"See, she's fine, buddy," Loki says reassuringly.

"Are you alive, mommy?" Logan sobs, and my heart pierces painfully.

"Of course, baby. That was just a bad dream," I explain hastily. Logan clings to me.

"What's wrong, Lo? Do you feel hot?" Loki asks, standing up out of bed and turning on the bigger light to get a better look at our son. Logan doesn't answer, he merely sobs into my chest.

"Loki, he feels really hot," I say fearfully, carrying him out of bed and hurrying to the bathroom where Loki follows me closely. He flips the light on and I sit Logan on the counter, grabbing a hand towel and wetting it under cold water at the sink. I press it to Logan's forehead, and he just groans, wiping his eyes.

"My head hurts, mommy," he whispers, barely able to speak. Loki takes the towel away and presses a cold hand to Logan's forehead. The boy leans into Loki's palm as if relieved.

"He seemed really out of it when I was putting him to bed earlier…I think we should take him to the hospital," I say, trying not to panic as I search for the thermometer in the cabinet. Logan stops crying and simply blinks up at us, Loki's hand growing a deep blue, which I hadn't noticed because I was too busy trying to find the thermometer.

"Does that help, baby?" Loki asks.

I glance at Logan and the deep Jötunn-blue hand pressed up against his forehead. I gasp, dropping the thermometer that I had finally managed to find. Logan kicks his legs in a bored fashion, apparently cured. Frost develops on the back of Loki's hand, but Logan merely reaches for Loki's wrist and clings to the cold parts as the blue slowly travels up Loki's forearm, revealing the intricate markings I had seen on him only a few times in my life. Loki grins down at Logan, who seems to be enjoying himself.

"Loki," I say hesitantly. He sends me a glance.

"I think it's helping him," Loki says rather surely. Logan yawns. I start to feel a sense of relief, as Loki's frostiness does not appear to be harming Logan at all. In fact, his green eyes begin to take on an odd ruby tint, as he gazes up at Loki, who laughs with some apparent surprise.

"Misty, do you see that?" Loki asks, not taking his eyes off of Logan, who sits there unaware of what's taking place in his eyes. I nod, taking a step closer and leaning over to observe my son, and it is no doubt in my mind then that frost giant blood courses through his young veins. Finally, Loki removes his hand from Logan's forehead, and slowly, the symptoms start to come right back, until Logan is groaning again, clutching his head and crying. Loki picks him up and rubs his hair calmingly. I hastily find the Children's Tylenol and dispense a dose. Loki walks back into our room and sits Logan on the bed, taking the chewable tablets from me before he tries to get Logan to take the medicine. The boy groans, shaking his head stubbornly, turning away from the tablets in Loki's hand.

"Make it cold," Logan sobs, reaching for Loki.

"I will, buddy, but I need you to take this first. It's going to help you feel better," Loki coaxes. Logan opens his mouth and chews the tablets as Loki applies his frosty touch a second time. It becomes obvious that the effects only last so long as Loki's touching the boy. I glance at the clock to find that it is seven in the morning, almost an hour before I generally get up for the day. I shake my head, thinking.

"Honey, why don't you go to work and I'll take the day off to watch him," Loki says, not wanting to take his hand off of Logan's forehead. Logan is lying back comfortably in the bed next to Loki, seemingly cured once again.

"Are you sure? Now I'm worried," I explain.

"It'll be fine. We'll be fine, so long as I keep this up," Loki explains.

"Unless you don't want to go. You should stay, too, if you're that worried."

Brittany crosses my mind and I decide against going into work for the day. I call Logan's school to excuse him before I call my boss with the details, excusing myself to work at home, editing some photos on my computer. Loki spends most of his time applying frost to Logan's head, and he appears to be perfectly fine all the while. Around six, I make us all dinner, and Loki feeds Logan in his little racecar bed, not wanting to relieve the boy of his curative touch. When I finish my work, I watch some TV and I can hear the tub upstairs where I know Loki's giving Logan a bath. I watch one of my favourite shows, and when I go upstairs to bring the dinner plates down, I pause at the sound of Loki's voice when I reach the top of the stairs. A short way down the hall, I can see that Logan's lamp is on and Loki is reading to him.

"'If you are a gardener and find me,' said the little bunny, 'I will be a bird and fly away from you.' 'If you become a bird and fly away from me,' said his mother, 'I will be a tree that you come home to…'" (Margaret Wise Brown, 1942) I smile, following Loki's voice down the hallway. I stand in the doorway to find Logan leaning tiredly against Loki's chest, fighting to keep his eyes open. Loki's long legs are dangling over the edge of Logan's short bed, and this, combined with the sight of his pale feet exposed from his slippers, makes me want to laugh. But I stand there quietly and watch. Logan's eyes finally close, where Loki is holding a cold hand to his forehead, deftly keeping the book open with his other hand so that Logan can see the pictures. Logan falls asleep and Loki glances over at me, slowly but surely maneuvering to lie the boy down without waking him. Loki carefully steps back into his slippers and collects the plates from the little table in the corner. He quietly approaches me and I stand back in the hallway, allowing Loki to close the door slightly.

"I gave him another dose of Tylenol half an hour ago, but I'm telling you, Misty, it was like he wasn't even sick, so long as I was touching him in Jötunn form, Loki explains, amazement in his eyes.

"It's like," Loki says, peering back inside Logan's room where he's sound asleep, "The cold doesn't even bother him at all…but I don't know how much of it he's capable of. I don't know if he can shift, the way I can," Loki explains.

"We'll see soon enough, I bet."

"Misty, he's a very special child. Maybe more than we thought he'd be," Loki whispers. He presses his lips to my forehead a long moment before bringing the plates down.

"I'll be along to bed in a bit. Just let me go wash these," Loki explains. As he disappears downstairs, I take my clothes off and start getting ready for bed. I brush my teeth and when I'm almost finished in the shower, my eyes closed pleasantly under the heat of the water, something literally crashes up against me from behind, and I find my breasts pressed mercilessly to the chilly wall. I gasp, caught off guard. Loki's teeth graze my shoulder and he breathes heavily into my skin. His grip on my thighs is desperate. I find his hand between my legs before I can make sense of what's happening. Loki leans back slightly from the wall to gain access to my body. He pulls me to the floor of the shower, my legs parted, massaging me relentlessly. I moan and let my head fall backward to lean against Loki's comfortable body. Loki's free hand finds my breast and gropes it, massaging gently.

"I had a horrible time trying to work yesterday after that cunt upset you," Loki says, letting his lips dance upon the shell of my ear, never missing a beat of his fingers pulsing rhythmically against my most sensitive parts. I grab his hand and pull it harder between my legs.

"You work too hard to be treated like that," Loki says, kissing my shoulder lingeringly. My body shivers at his touch and I lean back against him as he begins to work me to climax, pinning my left hand against the cool, white shower wall. Despite being wet with water, I can differentiate it from the wet that has collected inside me from arousal, Loki's slender digits carefully dipping inside of me, curling slightly. I orgasm, my muscles contracting around Loki's index and middle fingers. He usually doesn't come at me this aggressively, but it causes me to undulate my hips against his hand as he teasingly pulls it away. He laughs, kissing my shoulder before petting me firmly, causing a few more moans to spring forth from my throat.

"I just wanted to hear you orgasm," he says honestly.

At the end of the following day, Farrah has nothing to tell me about Brittany's gossiping. I start wondering whether Loki actually did something to make her stop, because she doesn't even glance at me in the kitchen when I stand next to her by the counter to make myself a cup of tea. Part of me had feared that Logan's sudden illness was a bad omen for the baby, and I find myself nervous as I leave work early to visit my doctor, but to my relief, everything turns out okay. That night when I tell Loki that the doctor has confirmed that our baby is okay, he silently weeps with a bright smile on his face, clutching and kissing my hands where I lie beside him in bed. Logan is much better by Thursday, Loki having stayed home with him while I went to work. At dinner, he asks us if he can go to school the following day just so that his class will sing him happy birthday. On Friday, I pick Logan up from school at 3:00, right when the children are dismissed. He runs up to me and I catch him.

"Happy birthday, baby," I say as Logan squeezes me, laughing. I kiss his cheeks. He tells me as I buckle him into the car that if he can't _go _to Asgard for his birthday, he at least wants more books to learn about it. So I take him to Barnes and Noble, where he subsequently picks up three different books on Norse mythology and tales of Asgard. I add a really interesting snow globe to the purchase, which Logan shakes up and down before staring into after taking the bag from me. We sit in the café and have some hot chocolate, Logan already starting in on one of the books. I watch him read, mesmerized by how much he resembles Loki, his features sharp and cunning without him even trying to be. We arrive home only a few minutes before Loki does. He carries in the cake and Logan screeches excitedly as we light the candles on it. Loki prepares dinner for us all, with a special Norwegian dessert at Logan's request.

"I want to dance," Logan announces once he finishes his dessert. Loki grins at me and I disappear upstairs to find my iHome. When I come down, the two of them are already spinning in circles in the kitchen to their own noises as I plug in my iPod. I press the shuffle button and Queen meets my ears. Logan grabs one of my hands and Loki's in his other, trying to get us to form a circle as we dance without coordination to Under Pressure. Logan doesn't even know the words, but he finds a way to step in time. Loki laughs at his energy.


	4. Chapter 4

The photo shoot for some new men's swimwear arrives on my birthday a few days after Logan's. As I photograph in our studio, I am completely oblivious to the fact that I'm about to get a huge surprise. What I think is the last model walks off the set while I'm staring through my photos. Somebody clears their throat and I look up to find Loki standing in front of the black tarp with a bouquet of red, orange, yellow, and pink roses, in nothing but a pair of red swim shorts—the type Olympic swimmers use—and a smile, his hair dangling freely in onyx waves over to one side of his face. The shock that hits me lasts a few seconds before I blink and realize that it _is_ in fact my husband waiting to be photographed for the magazine. Loki tilts his head to one side and a coworker laughs at my surprise.

"What?" is simply all that escapes my lips. Loki starts towards me, laughing as I stand up and an intern grabs my camera before I can drop it.

"Happy birthday," Loki says in one of the most seductive voices I've ever heard pour from his lips. He hands me the bouquet which I accept and sniff, and he pulls me up into his naked arms, claiming my lips in a half second. I forget I'm at work and allow Loki to slip his tongue into my mouth. I barely notice the hooting of the stylist who is standing with his arms crossed to admire the spectacle. I start to feel frustrated that we're not alone in that moment, but I manage to detach Loki's face from mine for air.

"You're not on break yet, darling. I think you have a few more pictures to take," Loki explains, backing up and beckoning me as somebody forces the camera back into my hands.

"Wait, _what_?" I ask.

"He's the extra model I was talking about last week, I guess," Brittany says unsurely, appearing out of nowhere, going through the list she'd made of the models that were booked.

"I did _not_ see anyone else listed…oh," she finishes stupidly, tapping on what I know must be Loki's name on her list. He glances left and right warily a moment, as if he thinks I won't catch him as I snatch the list from Brittany. I cock a brow and smile at Loki wisely, knowing that he must have done something just to surprise me like this.

"Well, I don't have all day, baby," he grins, turning to let me admire the glory that is his behind in the tight red shorts they put on him. Brittany's face goes stupid before I shove the list in front of it and block her view of Loki. I grab my camera and snap away, only to find that Loki is actually a natural at modeling, and that I never realized how amazing his butt is. He takes all the directions I give to him, flexing and grinning in a libidinal fashion, and by the time we're finished, I'm glad I'm wearing a dress with a fanned skirt, because I know that the wetness I feel pooling between my thighs will have been highly noticeable in pants.

Loki doesn't bother changing into actual clothing before we step into the elevator. I stand there in amusement, holding my flowers, his arms full of my camera among a few other items. The only other thing he's wearing is a pair of Calvin Klein flip flops. I dip my nose into a rose and smell it before laughing.

"You put yourself on the list when you were in my office before, didn't you?" I ask him, although I already know the answer to this query. Loki frowns at me mockingly.

"No, of course not," he says seriously before flashing me his mischievous smile.

"Oh my god," I laugh.

"Yes?" Loki grins, and I laugh even harder.

"You know, those roses aren't your only gift. There's another one waiting in your office," Loki says. I lean my head on his shoulder, clutching my vase of roses. I kiss his bare skin and Loki dips his head to press his lips to my forehead. When I get into my office, I place my flowers on the window sill, looking around excitedly a moment, before I hear the door close and turn around to find Loki clicking the lock. He snaps his fingers and the next thing I know, the shades are closed and the lights are off, replaced by the pleasant loom of some candles that have materialized on the floor. I giggle as he approaches me slowly, almost sinisterly, like some predator circling its prey, trying to figure out where to strike first. Loki plucks a yellow rose from the vase and as he slowly walks around me, I turn to watch him.

"Be still and close your eyes," he orders, and I stand in place. Loki saunters around me, out of sight, the breeze his movement makes causing the hairs on my body to stand on edge. I close my eyes and something tickles the back of my leg. I laugh and jump a moment before the sensation of the rose disappears and I hear Loki laugh diabolically. There is a tug at the skirt of my dress and it slowly begins to travel up my body. I raise my arms when Loki finally yanks it off, waiting to hear the sound of it dropping somewhere nearby. Something runs down my spine and I know it's the flower Loki had taken from the vase. My flesh burns with need as Loki walks around me, letting the flower trace my skin tantalizingly. I feel his hand in my hair.

"Keep your eyes closed," he says gently. I feel Loki's breath close to my lips, and I open my mouth with anticipation, but instead, I feel his thumb trace along my bottom lip before his touch completely leaves me. I turn my head left as I feel him pass there, then right when I feel him there. And then there are a pair of hands on my waist before a second pair begins unhooking my bra. I gasp and open my eyes, finding Loki in front of me, grinning as he massages my waist. I turn my head to look behind me and find that Loki is _also_ there, unhooking my bra and making his way to the floor to kiss at the back of my legs. For a moment I'm deeply frightened, before it registers to me that one of the men touching me is a clone. I stare down at the Loki kneeling behind me as he slowly pulls my underwear down my legs, the other Loki travelling up my ribs with both hands, gazing hungrily down at my breasts. I am unsure whether to laugh or moan, so I just stand there as the Loki kneeling behind me takes my waist in both hands. He presses his lips to my butt cheek and I lean forward into the Loki that is standing in front of me. I grip his shoulders and feel all the heat rise in my cheeks. He laughs and smiles.

"She doesn't know which one is the real me," says the Loki whose shoulders I'm clutching. I don't know what to say in response as they both laugh. The Loki behind me stands and begins to kiss at my neck. I gawk back at him, and the Loki I'm holding ont begins to kiss on the other side of my neck, the two of them leaning in on me until I am pressed between both of their naked hips in a Loki sandwich.

"What…?" the word breezes from between my lips in confusion as the Loki in front of me grips my chin and forces me to meet his gaze, while the other one continues kissing at my skin, the passion slowly rising as he closes his arms around me, holding my hands down at my sides.

"Does it frighten you?" the one gripping my chin asks. I become distracted by the hardness I feel growing against my behind, while there is at the same time another hardness intensifying at my front. And then I just screech and laugh, unable to decide how to react. Loki takes my response as consent and kisses my lips hungrily. He picks me up and carries me to my desk, the other Loki following suit and rubbing my back, kissing my shoulders. The Loki that faces me grips my legs and places my feet upon the desk, so that I am spread open to him. He rubs me firmly between my legs, and the Loki that stands behind my desk pulls me to lean back against his warm chest, as he begins massaging my breasts, whispering things into my ear that make me blush and smile shyly.

"I don't know if I can do this," I mutter awkwardly, still unsure whether to laugh, be creeped out, or turned on as I stare up at the Loki behind me. I gasp when the one in front of me pushes his length inside of me suddenly. The Loki behind me holds me firmly in place while the one in front eases himself inside.

"I knew I made you wet while you were taking those pictures," says the Loki penetrating me, cupping my knees with his large hands to send them further in opposite directions. My thighs relax and I can't help but moan before biting my tongue to keep quiet, fearing somebody outside the door will hear. The Loki cupping my breasts from behind nibbles my ear before whispering into it, "You had better moan when I fuck you, Misty." These words alone cause me to drip madly.

"They'll hear," I breathe, grasping at the Loki in front of me, my fingertips dusting his abdomen as he pulls me closer to the edge of the desk for access to my already clenching maw.

"They won't. That's what magic's for," he says in this deeply dark way, his words coated with primal lust.

"I don't believe y—" I gasp when the Loki standing behind me restrains my arms so that I can't touch the Loki in front of me. And then he thrusts roughly and I become a gelatinous mess upon my desk. He grunts, his breath caressing my face like a monsoon, before he laughs triumphantly.

"Good girl," Loki behind me declares. I stop holding back when Loki fucks me hard enough to make the desk shift, desperate to cause me to make noise. Sweat pools in the hollow of my throat and I feel myself being pushed forwards at the waist by the Loki standing behind me. He gently pulls my hair back to expose my throat as the Loki that is fucking me pauses to lick the underside of my chin. He then hooks his arms around the backs of my knees momentarily to secure me in place while he thrusts.

"Do you like it?" he asks before swaying his hips firmly and accurately between my legs, the Loki behind me kneading into my back with his fist. I can't even speak at this point as I gasp to find my breath. There is a gentle tug at my hair behind me.

"_Answer him_," hisses the Loki behind me. I laugh, the sound quickly cut short by the pressure of Loki's stomach against mine as he pulls me closer to himself.

"Yes," I breathe.

"Tell him you want it," demands the Loki behind me as he leans into my neck before baring down into it with his teeth gently. My hands are a sweaty mess as I dig my nails into Loki's back.

"I want it," I breathe, barely able to breathe.

"I didn't even have to touch her to get her this wet," murmurs the Loki fucking me.

"She's beautiful," admires the other.

"And so tight."

I shiver and it feels as if I'm having an out of body experience, before the realization sets in that my husband is talking to _himself_. The Loki fucking me leans further in on me and the one behind me catches me so that the one fucking me can place his hands on the desk for support. The one behind me begins to tease my clit with his fingers and my back arches. I reach for the one fucking me and he pins my wrists against the desk. One of them laughs, and at that point, I'm too close to orgasm to tell which one. The sound of Loki grunting makes me even wetter. I wriggle my waist against him desperately.

"Look at you squirm," says the Loki behind me, and for a moment, I'm reminded of that night in the shower. He continues to pleasure my throbbing bud a few seconds before dragging his hands to travel slowly up my stomach before he caresses my breasts. I feel an upside down pair of lips on mine, the thrusting between my thighs never halting. I get lost in the kiss for a moment, the feeling of Loki's tongue gliding against mine driving me insane. He stops kissing me when my mouth opens wider, just as I'm about to come. I open my eyes when I do, and the Loki between my legs smiles down at me, the hair plastered beautifully to his pale face, half of it hidden in darkness due to the lowness of the candle light. He shifts from between my legs suddenly. The Loki who'd been massaging me grabs a hold of my hips for his turn and I am brought onto my stomach atop my desk. He eases himself inside my still clenching wetness, my hardened nipples pressing against the desk, which has grown warm from my body heat. I feel a slap on my ass and I grip the table, moaning and closing my eyes as the Loki that had given me the first orgasm gently lifts up my face in his hands, pushing the hair out of my eyes to meet my full gaze. He kisses me with an invading tongue while the Loki now fucking me reaches under my belly and down between my legs to fondle my clit. I feel myself dying for a second release.

"I know, sweetie. It's coming," pants the Loki behind me. I grip the desk as the one in front of me holds my neck steady, kissing my face as I squirm desperately. When my second orgasm sounds, I feel the release of the Loki behind me flooding me, coating my walls as he groans laboriously. I feel the wet drip from between my legs, and I want to lie down, but the Loki standing before me holds me up in his arms. I drop my head against his chest, spent as the other Loki comes. He rubs my stomach intimately before kissing down my back, slowly pulling out. In my head, I'm thinking, _what the heck just happened? _And as the Loki behind me continues kissing his way down my body, I sigh with relief. I start laughing once I catch my breath. I feel the empty air as the Loki in front of me vanishes with a smile, and I have to catch myself on my desk. I hear a dubious laugh and turn around to find the _real _Loki sweaty and grinning.

"That was…weird," I admit, blinking.

"But did you like it?" Loki asks, rubbing my hip plaintively before smiling when I cup his face and nod.

"It got really hard watching myself take you like that. I felt…jealous, but then I realized he was me, so," Loki says, rolling his eyes momentarily. I sit on my desk, sigh, and laugh my ass off. I lie back on my desk, spent. I feel Loki taking my legs into his hands before he kisses my knees.

"Why haven't we tried that before? It was…different. Awkward at first, but then really sexy."

I glance down at Loki to find a shy look on his face.

"I've thought about it for some time now, but I wasn't quite sure how you'd take to having a clone in the bed," Loki admits. I reach down and caress his beautiful face, still unable to believe, after all this time, that it's the face of my husband, the god of mischief.

"You were kind of aggressive," I grin, covering my mouth with both hands, glowing timidly. Loki laughs.

"Which one?" he asks, cocking a brow, parting my legs and leaning in between them, on top of me.

"…Okay, so that question doesn't make sense," I laugh. Loki kisses me and I run my hands through his hair.

"I love you, Loki."

"I know," he says with a sort of effrontery that I still find sexy. His incarnadine smile melts my soul as I brush my hands repeatedly through his silken locks. He laughs and gazes over my face.

"I like the way your flesh flushes up after I fuck you," he says frankly. An electric current passes up my spine at his words. I sigh with relief again, grasping onto Loki's shoulders. He busies himself kissing at my neck and chest. I rub the back of his neck for a minute or so before deciding to get up.

"Mmmm," Loki sighs as I slip off my desk and back into my dress. His clothes had been resting on my chair, and as we watch each other get dressed, we can't help grinning satisfactorily. Just as I am leaning on Loki's arm, our fingers interwoven for support to step back into my other shoe, there is a knock on the door. I gasp and glance towards it. The lights flick back on and with a wave of Loki's hand, the candles extinguish and vanish. I lean against my desk casually, as Loki approaches the door, frowning upon hearing Brittany's voice on the other side.

"Is that…? Do I smell sex on the air?" Brittany asks, and the next thing I know, the door slams. I jump, only to find Loki with a palm pressed in an uncomfortably firm looking manner against Brittany's forehead, her body pressed tightly to the wall.

"Listen, cunt," Loki spits, and my hands slap against my lips where I cup my mouth in disbelief. I rush over to find Brittany's eyes empty of colour, clouded with bright light, "You will stop talking shit about my son, and you will cease to gossip about my wife." It becomes clear to me that Brittany has become rendered motionless as she listens to Loki's words with a blank expression.

"If you find yourself ever even _thinking _to do so again," Loki grins, stepping to the side so that Brittany has a perfect view of the window, "You will not hesitate to fling your pathetic waste of an existence out of that window," he finishes, pointing to it, and the shade gradually opens all the way.

"Is that clear?" Loki asks calmly. Brittany nods.

"On top of this, you no longer serve any purpose here other than to do your job and serve Misty Friggason. You will do _whatever _she tells you to do, _whenever _she tells you to do it, and with a _smile_ on your hideous face." Loki releases Brittany's forehead and her irises become coloured again. She blinks unsurely as if she has no clue what just happened.

"Now, go and get Misty a cup of tea—lemon, two Splendas," Loki barks. Brittany leans away from the wall, smiles, and nods, wishing me a happy birthday as she walks out of my office. I stare at Loki in disbelief. He merely turns to face me, smiling as he smooths his hair back into place.

"She's the only one in the office who hasn't said happy birthday to me today," I explain blankly.

"Well," Loki says, zipping the fly of his jeans, "Now she has."

"Why are you so amazing?"

Loki laughs genuinely.

Loki doesn't bother to leave my office for the day, and I find it maddeningly distracting to sit at my desk, editing photos of him while he eyes me. I giggle nervously from time to time, and Brittany only comes back to give me something I sent her to fetch or report work-related news.

"I may be crossing the Rubicon here, but I think we should give Logan the _real_ talk about where babies come from, now that he's going to have a little sister."

I look over from my work, caught off guard. When I realize how serious Loki is, I turn away from my laptop in the rolling chair and face him entirely.

"Loki, he's five."

Loki laughs genuinely.

"_Six_," he corrects me, "Honey, he's smarter than you realize. Want to know what he asked me last night after he saw you walking naked into our bathroom?"

I ponder this, recalling how Logan had rushed into our room just as I was pulling off my underwear.

"'Can mommy pee standing up?'"

I smile and laugh a moment, pressing my palm to my forehead as Loki laughs lightly.

"What did you say to him?" I ask.

"Well, all I said was that you don't, because he and I are male and you're female. He just thinks you're a girl, but I'm not sure how much he understands the details. I mean, you're going to get bigger, and I'm sure he'll want to know how it happened."

"I don't know. He's still so young," I respond.

"You know Logan; he'll keep asking until you give something to him."

"True," I add without hesitation.

"Maybe we should start by asking him how he might feel about having a little brother or sister. I'm just so excited, Misty. I want to tell everyone, but only if you're ready, of course. Have you even told your mother yet?"

At that, my eyes widen.

"Actually, no. I haven't."

"I'm sure she'll be happy. You know how much of a grandma's boy Logan is."

I smile warmly.

Loki sends me an absolutely febrile gaze as I slap lotion on my calves and rub them down. I start laughing. He stops combing his hair, throwing his brush on the bureau before he crawls in his boxers up the foot of the bed, securing a hold of my ankle. I lose it and laugh uncontrollably, falling back against the cushiony pillows. Loki's hands travel up my leg as he drags me towards himself. His lips murmur against my thigh.

"Mmmm," he moans sensually, "Look at all this mama meat." I catch my breath and sit up straight, Loki opening his mouth and sucking on my flesh. His tongue feathers across my skin, and when I glance down at him, I find that the colour has risen in his chest and a significant tent forms the crotch of his boxers. I push my hands over his damp head. He causes me to fall back, laughing impishly as he cups the backs of my knees.

"I don't believe the birthday girl has had enough orgasms yet," he breathes, the sheer lust seeping into my ears, which greedily drink the sound of Loki's lips smacking against my inner thigh.

"Loki, I just showered and I'm sleepy," I sigh, although I know deep down I wouldn't mind another session before drifting to sleep. He laughs diabolically.

"If you think that's going to stop me, you're out of luck, woman."

I let out a moan as Loki gently sinks his teeth into my inner thigh. In a matter of seconds, he curls his graceful fingers beneath the waistband of my panties and they land somewhere behind him on the floor. His moaning into my neck gets me thoroughly wet, and he enters me without warning, leaning upon his beautiful arms and throwing his head back with a guttural groan. I fit my palms over his pecks and dig my nails into them. I lean sideways to kiss his arm and he smiles down at me with sparkling eyes. Loki leans down towards my face and I push the stray onyx hair behind his ears. He smiles.

"Wrap your legs around me," he breathes. I acquiesce and he begins rolling his hips forth with control, his breathing quickening with excitement. Soon there are pillows on the floor and I'm clawing at Loki's back, moaning uninhibited, the sound of Loki's flesh making contact with mine filling the air. I'm getting closer and closer, Loki's thrusts intensifying, that feral look in his eyes, his chest sanguine and sweating, when the door opens and Logan screams. Loki's first reaction is to hide our naked bodies; my vision is suddenly occluded by the mauve quilt and I feel added pressure on the bed as Logan mounts it, yelling at Loki.

"Daddy, stop!" He shouts fearfully. I finally notice Loki's nose pressed against my forehead beneath the covers which he pulled over us. He laughs and I can hear Logan hitting him on the other side of the shelter. Loki slips from between my legs and out from under the quilt, and Logan knocks him on the head with a tiny fist, tears in his verdant eyes.

"Why you hurting mommy?!" He wails. I pull a pillow over my breasts and Loki catches both of Logan's hands before he can strike again.

"Logan," I say comfortingly. Loki picks him up, still naked, trying to calm him down.

"Mommy?" Logan cries, staring over Loki's shoulder at me, his tears dripping down Loki's arm.

"You hurt mommy," Logan cries, hitting Loki's chest.

"I'm fine, Logan," I explain, grabbing the unfitted sheet and wrapping it around myself.

"I would _never_ hurt your mother, champ. I wasn't—I promise. Everything's okay."

"Then why were you screaming? " Logan asks, rubbing his eyes. Loki laughs.

"Daddy, why you naked?"

"No one was getting hurt, baby. I promise," I explain to him as I step out of bed. I caress Logan's hair and he rests his chin on Loki's shoulder, staring at me.

"What were you doing?" He asks innocently.

"Well, it's called making love. I wasn't hurting mommy. I promise, " Loki explains again gently. Logan's eyebrows furrow and he leans back to look at his father.

"I know what love is. How you make love, daddy? Why did it make mama scream?"

"Don't worry about it, baby," I cut in, taking him out of Loki's arms.

"Why you scream?" Logan asks in confusion. Loki laughs.

"Logan, it's okay. Why aren't you in bed?" He sighs and rests his head on my shoulder.

"I heard noises, mommy. Weird noises," Logan says sleepily.

"I thought you said he was asleep," I whisper to Loki, trying hard not to laugh.

Loki grins, "I didn't say _that_. I said I put him to bed."

"Mommy, what's making love?" Logan asks tiredly. Loki laughs again as I elbow him and start down the hall with our son in my arms.

"Well, baby...it's something parents do sometimes. It's how you were made."

"How was I made?" Logan asks more interestedly.

"It's a long story that it's too late to tell. You should be sleeping." I walk into Logan's room and sit with him in my lap on his bed. He cups my cheeks and looks directly into my eyes. Loki breezes into the doorway with some pajama pants on. He smiles toothlessly and crosses his arms, leaning against the frame. I smile.

"I thought I came from the stork," Logan mumbles.

Loki laughs quietly.

"How was I made with love, mama?"

I kiss him and hold him tightly.

"We can talk about it another time, sweetheart. You have to go to sleep now so you can get up for school in the morning." Logan sighs and I tuck him back in. He glances over at Loki smiling in the doorway and frowns.

"What's the matter?" Loki asks sweetly. Logan begins to cry again, clutching my arm.

"Why'd you hurt mommy?" He sobs. I wipe his eyes. Loki stops laughing and steps into the room as Logan sits up and buries his face in my arm, clinging fearfully. Loki kneels beside us and rubs Logan's shoulder.

"Honey, I promise you, no one was hurt. I have no reason or desire to hurt your mom. It might have sounded that way, but it wasn't."

"Hear that, baby?" I ask comfortingly, kissing Logan's cheeks.

"Don't understand," he mumbles, wiping his eyes again.

"It's okay. I promise we'll explain it all later. Go to sleep, okay?"

Logan holds me a bit longer as Loki rubs his back. And then I lie him down and he sighs with his eyes closed. Loki kisses him on the cheek and we get up to leave the room, the night light casting ominous shadows of Logan's toys against the walls. Loki leaves the door open a crack and we start back to our room. Once inside, Loki closes the door and laughs.

"He's really too cute when he's confused, Misty." I feel the sheet peel off my body as Loki pulls his hands firmly down my sides.

"He was genuinely scared, Loki. Why didn't we close the door?"

He laughs.

"It'll be fine. Accidents happen," he says, kissing my shoulder. We climb back into bed and Loki spoons me.

"Did you at least have a good birthday?" he asks. I grip his wrist and close my eyes.

"Yes. I don't think I would have without you. Brittany's never been so easy to work with."

Loki giggles and holds me tighter.

"I still wouldn't mind sending her a nice big beehive in the mail," he admits, speaking right into my ear, and I shiver and laugh until my face hurts.


	5. Chapter 5

"Blargh!" Logan shouts, appearing from under the fort that Loki helped him fashion from two armchairs and a blanket in the den. Logan brandishes a fake stuffed sword and Loki, on his knees, rises with his hands in the air as if to surrender.

"Nyah!" He cries before blowing a cool breeze of snowflakes in Logan's face. Logan stops to close his eyes and laugh.

"Snow dragon!" the boy shouts before plunging the fake sword into Loki's chest. Loki falls melodramatically to the side on the floor, clutching his heart and closing his eyes, pretending to die. Logan jumps in the air triumphantly.

"I won!" he says. He stops jumping when Loki doesn't get up. Logan drops his sword and swings his leg over Loki's body, sitting on his chest. Loki keeps a straight dead face and doesn't move as Logan's small fingers pry one of his eyes open. Logan pries the other eye open before Loki grabs him and sits up, kissing all over his face and growling like a monster. Logan laughs uncontrollably, telling Loki he's supposed to be dead between gasps for air. I had stopped surfing through channels to watch the two of them, the Saturday morning sun pouring in through the shades, bathing them in a warm glow. I hastily reach for my phone on the table and snap some photos of them. Logan makes his way out of Loki's arms and picks his sword up off the floor. He backs up slowly into the confines of his fort with an intrepid expression on his face, until he's out of sight. Loki laughs.

"Alright, you won. The frost dragon is all gone. Come out now, Logan," Loki grins, pulling the blanket back, only to be whacked in the face with Logan's plush sword. Loki laughs again before reaching inside the fort with one long arm to capture our son. Logan allows Loki to drag him out, laughing once more.

"Come here, my little godling. Your mom and I have something important to tell you," Loki says soothingly. He picks Logan up and I pull my knees to my chest to create room for the two of them on the other end of the couch. Loki kisses Logan's forehead, tucking his hair behind his ears. Logan looks up excitedly at him, trying to keep from bursting out laughing again. Loki looks to me a moment and I nod, reaching for Logan's foot and massaging his toes, at which he pulls his leg back, laughing.

"Logan," I begin, sitting up right next to Loki so that our arms are touching. Loki swoops his around me and I gaze down into my son's eyes.

"Yeah, mommy?" Logan asks innocently, gazing back and forth between Loki and I.

"How would you feel if mommy had a baby?" Loki asks, holding Logan's hand. Logan absently plays with Loki's slender fingers. His eyebrows furrow and he stares at Loki as if he's gone mad.

"Huh?"

"Would you like to be a big brother? How would that make you feel?" Loki asks him. Logan ponders this for a few seconds, counting Loki's fingers repeatedly. The boy shrugs. And then he shakes his head fervently.

"No. I like it how it is; you, me, and mommy," he says, reaching over to pat my hand where it rests on Loki's knee. Loki casts me a glance, frowning slightly.

"What if I told you that mommy was going to have a baby?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Logan asks, shaking his head, "No. _No_. I don't want anyone else to—to," Logan says, thinking about what he's trying to say. He taps his lips, gazing skywards with a carbon copy of Loki's iridescent green eyes. The more I look at him, the more I hope the child I'm carrying will be a girl, just as beautiful as the boy is. Logan sighs.

"I don't want anybody taking my toys, or taking my baths, or getting plane rides from uncle Thor. I don't want anybody in my room. I'm your boy. Why would you want another one when I'm already here?" Logan asks. Loki laughs, admiring Logan's honesty. Logan grimaces and slaps Loki's chest.

"Not funny, daddy," he says with some frustration. Loki stops laughing.

"No hitting. Remember what we talked about?" Loki says calmly, restraining Logan's hands. Logan sighs and crosses his arms.

"No one would steal your toys, or your baths, and why can't anyone else get plane rides from uncle Thor, huh?" Loki asks him. Logan stares up at him.

"Why you asking me?" he asks.

"Well, because mommy is pregnant," Loki explains, brushing his hand through Logan's hair again. Logan's eyes widen. He pulls his head back, shaking it.

"But…but, no. _No_. She doesn't have a big tummy—like auntie Jane had. Mom's not pregnant," Logan explains.

Loki nods.

"Ah, that's the thing, buddy. Babies don't really come from the stork. They grow in mom's belly. It doesn't look like it right now, but soon your mother will get bigger."

Logan stands up and stares at us both. I reach out for him, but then he stomps his feet with a temper and shakes his head.

"…No. I don't _want_ another baby! Give it back to the stork!" Logan decrees. Loki can't help but laugh again. Logan screeches and stomps his feet angrily.

"It's okay, Logan," I try to explain. When I stand up to pick him up, he cries and slaps at my hands angrily. Loki shoots him a reprimanding gaze.

"Logan," Loki says, reaching for him, but the boy snatches his arm out of Loki's grasp. He runs away up the stairs, leaving Loki and I standing there. My heart pangs sadly, but Loki is laughing genuinely. I shove his chest.

"He's really upset, Loki. We shouldn't have told him."

Loki pulls me fast against his body.

"Baby, he was going to have to find out sooner or later. He was going to figure it out as soon as your stomach got bigger."

Loki kisses my forehead lingeringly and I sigh.

"I just wasn't hoping for that reaction."

"Darling, he's only a child. He'll cry about it and then he'll get over it. He's just worried that he won't have enough attention from us. It's okay. I'll go talk to him," Loki says reassuringly, kissing me before starting out of the room. I can hear Logan upstairs, wailing angrily.

"Logan," Loki calls in a sing-song voice. Logan's crying pauses before he screams angrily in response, and I hear a door slam. I start out of the room to follow Loki's quickening steps up the stairs. As I rush up the stairs after Loki, we can both hear Logan crying angrily in his bedroom. Loki laughs again once he makes it to the top of the stairs. I rush ahead of him to Logan's door.

"He has my temper," Loki notes. Logan's wails stave off to somber cries.

"Logan," Loki calls again. The boy pauses before screaming again as a response. Loki laughs to himself and I block the door

"Stop _laughing_," I whisper. Loki frowns.

"But he's just so cute. I can't help it," he says, grasping my waist and pressing his lips to my forehead. I smile.

"I know, but he's _very _upset. Laughing is just going to make it worse."

Loki nods. I reach for the doorknob and turn it to find that the door is locked. Loki's fist appears in my peripheral vision as he knocks.

"Logan, open this door right now," I demand calmly, "You know it's never supposed to be locked."

"Logan," Loki calls sternly.

I hear small footsteps and the door opens a crack. Logan continues to lament, running back to his racecar bed and pulling the covers over his head.

"Aww," Loki says in a dulcifying tone.

"Baby boy, it's okay," I croon, kneeling on his bed. I pull back the covers, and with some effort, until he lets go and runs over to the corner, glaring and sobbing with fury.

"_I'm not a baby_!" Logan screams, stomping his foot. I stand up as Loki walks around the bed and we start towards Logan.

"Logan, take a deep breath so we can talk," Loki says, reaching for Logan's arm. He pulls back and shouts at us, picking up a marker from the floor and hitting Loki square in the stomach when he throws it.

"Logan," Loki says warningly. Our child picks up a beanie baby and throws it with a speed I did not know him to be capable of. Loki's hand catches the squirrel inches before it hits me right in the face.

"Logan Gunnar Friggason, you _do not_ throw things at your mother," Loki says sternly. Logan throws his hands in the air and collapses to the floor on his bottom to kick his feet angrily and cry, slamming his fists on the floor. He stops groaning angrily and just sits there to cry. Loki finally closes in on him and picks him up off the floor. I reach for the box of tissues on the dresser and pluck a few as Loki attempts to sit the boy on his lap on the bed. Logan slides down out of Loki's lap repeatedly, until Loki gives up and lets him sit on his own. I sit on the other side of Logan and start wiping his eyes. He leans his head back, pushing my hands away, before kicking his legs again and lying back between Loki and I on his bed. Loki sighs and we exchange disappointed glances. Logan generally doesn't give us this level of difficulty, but it becomes clear to us very quickly, that he's not happy about having a baby sibling. Loki rubs Logan's chest comfortingly and I brush his hair out of his eyes and kiss his forehead, leaning on my side on his bed until he starts to calm down. And then I sit him up and pull him into my lap. He sniffles as Loki wipes his nose.

"It's going to be alright, Logan," I explain, kissing his cheek.

"I don't _want_ a baby," he whimpers, his crying having calmed down dramatically.

"Can I ask you why, Logan?" Loki asks, leaning down to look into the boy's eyes.

"Don't _want_ you to be anyone else's mommy and daddy. You're _my_ mommy and daddy," he says, wiping his eyes. Loki picks him up and holds him closely.

"You know, son, we're _always_ going to be your parents, no matter who comes into our lives. Nothing can _ever_ change that. You would just have a beautiful baby sister or brother. What's so bad about that?"

Logan leans back to look Loki in the face.

"I don't _want_ to share my toys, or my room!" Logan wipes his nose, whimpering.

"You wouldn't have to do that, Lo. We have that whole other room that no one even uses. That would be the baby's room. You're a big boy, right? You can't stand it when mom and I call you a baby. You won't _be_ the baby anymore. Doesn't that make you feel grown up?" Loki asks, grinning. Logan stops crying to think about it. And then he just crosses his arms and frowns, giving us the silent treatment. Loki kisses his forehead before sitting him back between the two of us.

"Nothing will change, Logan. We're still going to love you and spend time with you as much as we do now," I explain, holding his hand. He looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Really, mommy?"

I nod and dab his nose with a tissue.

"We love you more than anything. You're our son. Can we give that same love to your little sister?" Loki asks. Logan ponders.

"Only if she comes out a boy like me," he says. It's my turn to laugh.

"I think we have a lot to talk about," Loki says, cocking an eyebrow. Logan stares back and forth between the two of us while we explain the fact that the stork was a lie, and he ends up looking a little more confused rather than relieved about the birds and bees.

"I know something that might make you feel better," I start.

Logan turns his eyes to me from where he leans his head against Loki's chest.

"How about we go to Asgard during the summer to visit auntie Jane? She'll have had her baby by then, and you can see what it's like to have one around."

Logan's eyes widen and he sits up in disbelief, smiling.

"Asgard, mommy?!" he asks, not believing me. Loki looks almost as surprised to hear me say this.

"Are you sure about that, Misty?"

"Please, daddy?! I'm sorry—I'm sorry I threw! I won't do it again. Can I go?" Logan begs, gripping Loki's shoulders. Loki smiles.

"If your mother says it's okay."

When I nod, Logan screeches excitedly and jumps down off of Loki's lap. He rushes to his bureau and starts pulling clothes out.

"What are you looking for, buddy?" Loki asks.

"I'm packing!" he says with a smile, grinning back at us. Loki looks at me, laughing before pulling me closer to him.

"I love you, Misty," he says, his eyes two twinkling green lights before he presses his lips to mine.

"We're not leaving just yet, Lo," Loki laughs, "You know you've got school next week. We've got to at least wait until you're on vacation."

Logan frowns and sighs. He sits on the floor and crosses his arms.

"Don't _worry_, baby. We'll go soon," Loki adds.

"I'm not a baby!" Logan barks. Loki laughs, standing to approach the boy, who begins grumbling with temper.

"Well, then. You're not going to _be _the baby anymore when your little sister is born."

Logan shouts again and fights to get out of Loki's grip.

"Don't _want_ a baby sister! Want a _brother_!" Logan yells, Loki finally managing to get the boy off his feet. Loki laughs. Though his back is turned, I can see Logan's little fists beginning to pound on Loki's chest and shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey," Loki says, sitting on the floor with our son in his lap.

"Logan…_Logan_, stop that. Remember what I said about hitting?" Loki asks him gently, restraining Logan's arms. Logan cries weakly.

"When you get upset, you don't hit. It doesn't solve anything, and you could really hurt yourself or someone else," Loki explains gently. I can tell that he's wiping Logan's eyes.

"I just want to go to Asgard," Logan whines, throwing his body back in frustration. Loki holds onto him.

"I know, honey. We're going soon—I _promise_. All you have to do is be patient, okay?" Loki kisses Logan's face, and shortly, a small pair of arms curl around Loki's back.

"I love you, my little godling," Loki says soothingly, "And I'll always be your father."

By four in the afternoon, Logan is falling asleep in the back of my car after a play date at the park with one of his friends from his old school. I had scheduled the play date as a surprise, because I'd been worried about the feedback Loki had been bringing home from Logan's teachers, about him keeping to himself and being reluctant to play with other children at recess. Thankfully, the play date took Logan's mind off the discussion we'd had with him about his new sibling. I turn the radio down and off when I glance through the rearview mirror to find him out like a light. I grin to myself, recalling the handful of foot races Logan and his friend had me count down. At the next red light, I turn in my seat to pick up one of Logan's favourite Norse fairytale books that he had insisted upon leaving in my car, so that he always has something to read when we're stuck in traffic. His face is turned to the side, head dropped, his pink lips moist with drool. I can't help but marvel at his perfect loose curls and sharp cheeks, despite his face still being cherubic with prepubescence. He is his father's son, taking after him with his high interest in books. His shoe sits on the floor of my car, and I just want to grab his little foot and kiss it, but decide against waking him. When I arrive home, Loki is hacking up wood for our fireplace. He's only wearing a long-sleeved navy blue thermal shirt, jeans, and a pair of boots. His cheeks flush alive and sanguine when he sees me pulling into our driveway. Loki pauses in his work, resting the axe against the shed before approaching slowly as I step out of the car. I reach into the back seat and unbuckle the belt around Logan, who is still asleep in his car seat.

"Awww," Loki coos, placing his hands on his hips, gazing through the window, and pouting at the sight of the sleeping boy. I produce a napkin from my pocket and wipe the drool that has fallen down Logan's coat before picking him up. He remains asleep as I carry him to the front door, house key looped around my pinky finger.

"He's still a baby, whether he likes it or not," Loki says quietly, grinning, and I feel the key leave my hand as Loki beats me to the door and simply turns the unlocked handle.

"But he's going to need a new bed soon," Loki adds, "That little old thing is getting too small for him."

I smile and nod, carrying Logan into the den. I lie him gently on the couch, where he remains in slumber. As I start removing my scarf, Loki kneels quietly to maneuver Logan out of his coat. Amazingly, he remains asleep, even as Loki pulls off his other shoe and tucks the thro blanket over him. I start back outside to get Logan's other shoe and my purse from the car. When I make it back inside, Loki is taking his boots off. He smiles at me as I shiver and close the front door, placing my coat and purse on the rack and Logan's shoes right next to Loki's boots.

"He was running around _a lot_," I explain, "Put himself right out."

Loki laughs, approaching me. He wraps his arms around me and we kiss for a few seconds.

"How is my _other_ baby doing?" Loki asks, creating a small space between us.

"Hmmm, I dunno. I think she's alright," I explain, resting my chin on Loki's chest, pushing my hands up through his hair, which is still cold to the touch from being outside. Standing on my toes, I am able to kiss his chin. His cheeks bulge when he smiles.

"Misty, I can't wait until we have this baby. She's going to be…perfect. Logan's going to fall in love with her—I _know_ he will. He's just not used to change."

I laugh.

"Yeah, I remember how much he hated sippy cups," I add, closing my eyes and continuing to kiss at Loki's chin. He rubs my back, holding me tightly.

"And how do _you _know it's a girl? I'm not far enough along yet to tell," I explain, opening my eyes. Loki beams down at me.

"I don't know. I just _know_, Misty. And I already told you, I need a little princess to go along with prince Logan, so this baby _has_ to be a girl."

I laugh.

"You know, he's been asking me when he can start sitting in the car without his booster seat," Loki says, chuckling. I sigh.

"Why is that boy so eager to grow up?" I ask, pressing my head against Loki's chest. His hair tickles my ear as he rests his cheek atop my head.

"I was the same way. He's a bit small for his age, something I know he must've gotten from me; I was small for a frost giant. He just wants to feel more independent. I can't blame him. You know how strong he likes to think he is."

I laugh before Loki continues.

"But he throws tantrums like the one he had earlier when he doesn't get what he wants."

I can tell without seeing Loki's face that he's smiling. He leans away from me to turn my gaze up. He looks my face over repetitively.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my chin still clasped between Loki's cool fingers.

"Nothing. You just look absolutely radiant."

The blood rushes to my cheeks as Loki kisses me. I sigh.

"No. I'm starting to look like a blimp," I say, closing my eyes and shaking my head, "Not quite pregnant, nor not-pregnant."

Loki frowns, pushing his hands under my shirt. I gasp when his cold skin touches my stomach. He pauses a moment apologetically.

"I'd better not hear you speak that way again," he warns, "I think you're the most beautiful at all times, but especially when you're pregnant."

Loki kisses me, rubbing a hand over the tiny bump forming on my stomach. I start to pull away when his tongue dips into my mouth. I groan.

"What's the matter?" Loki asks, his eyes suddenly flooding with concern.

"Nothing…I just don't feel sexy when it's all about my stomach," I admit timidly, looking away from Loki's gaze. He sighs.

"Misty, you're _always_ beautiful to me."

Loki's slender fingers gently push some hair over my shoulder and tuck it behind my ear. His lips meet my cheek.

"Yeah, well, you're my husband. You're _supposed_ to say all of that," I say, fighting a grin.

"I mean, the scar from Logan is still there, and I think it's probably going to stretch out."

Loki groans, pushing his face into my neck, lifting me off my feet.

"Stop this right now. I won't have you speaking ill of yourself."

I laugh lightly.

"Yeah, but that's before I realized in the shower this morning how poofy I look—"

"Misty, we need to take advantage of the fact that Logan's asleep and make love before he gets up," Loki explains frankly, gripping my behind and leaning his waist in against me. He cocks an eyebrow suggestively. I laugh as he picks me up bridal style and carries me up the stairs.

Logan's dumbstruck face is the best thing I've ever seen the second we arrive on Asgard, and I whip out my phone to take pictures of him where he scrambles to get down out of Loki's arms and go meet Heimdall. Heimdall smiles as the boy runs up to him fearlessly and wraps his arms as best he can around his legs. Loki laughs and pulls me into a hug for a quick kiss. Nearing seven months pregnant, my stomach makes it difficult to lean over and pick up the shopping bags I stuffed some Midgardian food into. Loki immediately stops me, motioning to the guards to come and pick up our things.

"I don't want to see you trying to lift a _finger_, especially now that we're here," Loki says honestly, placing one hand on my lower back and the other on my stomach as he gazes deeply into my eyes. I sigh, not wanting to give up my freedom.

"I'm serious, Misty. We haven't had any complications so far. Let's keep it that way," Loki says before kissing my forehead lingeringly.

"Alright, alright," I assure him. Logan is caught up in conversation with Heimdall, who's holding the boy at arm's length, repeatedly noting how much he looks like his father. Logan asks to hold the sword and Heimdall laughs, telling him he's not yet big enough to wield such a heavy object.

"At least let him touch it," Loki entreats, wanting to avoid a tantrum before we've even met up with Jane and Thor. Heimdall puts Logan down and kneels to his height, holding the sword by the blade so that Logan can clutch the handle. He laughs and marvels at it excitedly.

"Okay, Lo. We've got to go get settled in and meet auntie Jane and uncle Thor, _and_ your new little cousin," Loki explains, running his fingers through Logan's hair. Logan grips Loki's hand and then mine, and the four of us start towards the Bifröst in pure sunshine.


End file.
